Sonic X Shadow Generations' latest trailer shed light on the Sonic Generations remaster's Shadow-centric storyline. Hidden amongst glimpses of a biblically accura??te Black Doom and Shadow’s groundbreaking new “Doom�powers were hints that the game will confirm a theory that the Sonic fandom has been kicking around for years.

Sonic Generations' Time Eater is a mystery Sonic fans are desperate to solve

For those who haven’t played Sonic Generations since its initial release, the game’s time-twisting story is kicked into motion by the Time Eater, the latest in a long line of ancient, eldritch horrors co-opted by Sonic’s perennial arch-enemy, Dr. Eggman. Unlike Sonic Adventure’s Chaos or Sonic Unleashed’s Dark Gaia, the Time Eater doesn't?? have any apocalyptic prophecy or ancient mythology associated with it: its lore starts and ends with Eggman finding it in space and using it to strand Sonic and his friends across time and space.

The Time Eater’s utter lack of a backstory has been a bee in the Sonic fandom’s collective bonnet for years. As is often the case with “official series canon gaps,�many fan theories have formed around the Time-Eater and its nebulous origins. One of the most popular theories argues Sonic Generations isn’t even the Time-Eater’s debut, that its existence is a lingering re?lic of Sonic’s most infamous adventure?.

The Time Eater might be another name for Sonic's darkest enemy

Sonic fans hate almost everything about 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog, more commonly known as Sonic �6. Everything except for Mephilles the Dark, the game’s main villain. One of two entities born from the splintered form of the sun god Solaris (yeah, this will be a bumpy ride), Mephilles embodies the fallen divinity’s calculating mind. Thanks to some time travel shenanigans, Mephilles assumed the visage of a crystalline clone of Shadow and ded?icated every second of his existence to reclaiming his original form.

Mephilles is widely regarded as one of Sonic �6’s only highlights. His design is memorable, his line delivery is delightfully Shakespearian, and he even has a surprisingly unsettling leitmotif that underscores most of his sce??nes. Unfortunately, the game's story ends with a paradox that wipes him out of exi?stence, and he’s only made minor cameo appearances since. Unless you believe the “Time-Eater is Mephillies theory,�that is.

This theory has no official name, but the one I use sums it up pretty succinctly. It suggests that the remnants of Mephiles/Solaris somehow re-entered the timeline after Sonic '06 removed itself from the continuity, decaying and mutating into the Time-Eater. Typically, this is where I’d say ?this is “just a theory,�but one of modern Sonic’s chief architects has noted that, as far as he’s concerned, tha?t’s the truth.

Ian Flynn, the lead writer of Archie and IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog comics and screenwriter of Sonic Frontiers, said in a 2012 blog post that he think??s Mephlllies is, in fact, the Time Eater. In the post, Flynn outlines the critical evidence backing this theory, highlighting the similarities between their time-manipulating powers and their shared affinity for black and violet. He even pointed out that the area leading up to the Time Eater’s boss fight in Sonic Generations is littered with flaming torches, a potential nod to Mephilles�status as a fallen su????n god.

Ian Flynn's in the perfect position to make the Time Eater Mephilles theory reality

Most Sonic fans have been endorsing Flynn’s? theory on the Time Eater for year??s, but the new Sonic X Shadow Generations trailer has given them even more reason to wonder. Not only did it confirm that Mephilles is returning as a boss in Shadow’s storyline, but it also ended with an ominous shot of the Time Eater laughing sinisterly as the black hedgehog discovers a still-alive Maria and Gerald Robotnik in White Space.

Knowing how much Sonic writers love to dredge up Shadow’s trauma, his reunion with Marai and Gerald probably will not end well for the parties? involved. While Eggman comma??nds the Time Eater, he cares about Gerald and Maria, so I doubt he’d pull his grandfather and cousin through time to mess with Shadow. Mephillies�is another story.

Shadow holds more responsibility for Mephilles�defeat than any other character in Sonic �6, and unlike Eggman, there’s no depth he won’t sink to get what he wants. If he wants to hurt Shadow, I can’t think of a better way to do it than by forcing him to see the two people he cares about most meet their tragic fates al??l over again. It’s? possible, if not likely, that Mephilles/Time Eater also brought Black Doom back, setting the stage for one of the gnarliest father-son reunions in video game history.

Ian Flynn is the head writer for Shadow Generations, and one of his chief talents as a writer is revisiting and revitalizing unresolved plot threads within the Sonic mythos. With that in mind, I think one of the wildest Sonic fan theories is about to ??become canon lore. 

The post Sonic x Shadow Generations’ new trailer may have confirmed a major fan theory appeared first on Destructoid.

The Google Play Twitter account has?? stopped posting outside of what appear to be automated rep??lies to app queries after a supersonic blunder of a thread yesterday.

Just in case you missed it, the official Twitter account for Google Play treated us to a mind-bending thread on April 29, 2024. The thread claims to show images of Sonic the Hedgehog getting older as you scro?ll down, but all it does is share images out of time and context, with captions that made very little sense. Today, after what looked to be quite the ordeal?? that resulted in every single post in the thread getting a Community Note, the account has gone silent.

The Google Play Twitter account still hasn't explained why it unleashed unhinged Sonic facts

Google Play's Sonic thread has nine posts and now has a Community Note on each individual post. This is because the images don't match what the account is saying about them at all, though they are good for a laugh if you need one. The official Sonic the Hedgehog account even chimed in at one poi?nt to ask, "What are you doing?"

That's the question on everyone's lips today, because the account has only replied to a few people's help queries ever since posting the thread. I'm sure there are multiple people on Google's end trying to think of the best way to c?ome back from this.

It's?? impossible to know exactly why Google Play posted so many incorrect images and captions about one of the most iconic characters in video game history.

What seems pretty certain is that something went wrong with the account. Once the Sonic posts had stopped, users figured out that they could get it to respond to whatever they posted as a reply. The best example I found is from user Gabriel Engel, who asked it to help with his lawn.

Whatever the issue was here, there's no way for Google to come out of it looking clever. Every Sonic post being incorrect is funny enough for the social media account of an app store that hosts games, but the ongoing replies and sheer amount of attention it has drawn have me and many others waiting with bated breath for the first post-Sonic post that, hopefully, explains everything.

The post Google Play hasn’t posted since its Sonic-related breakdown appeared first on Destructoid.

The Sonic movie franchise has been on a tear over the past four years, earning over $700 million in global box office earnings and adding a couple more titles to the list of successful ?video game movie adaptations.

They've done so by collecting a cast of stellar actors to play and voice their characters, from Jim Carrey's manic Dr. Robotnik to Idris Elba's indomitable Knuckles. With Sonic 3 on the way and a huge cast of characters still to fi??ll, fans knew there would be more amazing casting announcements in the future.

Still, I don't know if anyone expected Mr. John Wick himself, Keanu Reev?es, to j??oin the fun.

Shadow the Hedgehog's film series voice actor has been revealed

As stated by the Hollywood Reporter, Keanu Reeves is set to star in Sonic 3 as Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic's dark, edgy opposite. Given Keanu's recent success as John Wick, we see how the casting may make sense. Shadow is a motorcycle-riding, gun-wielding (sometimes) antihero, turned towards chaos by the death of his longtime companion, Maria Robotnik. Mourning her loss, he originally turns to evil before finding his way back to the good side, though with?? a 'through any means necessary' moral compass. John Wick toes the same line, originally seeking revenge before turning to dismantle the High Table. The p?arallels are numerous, and it seems obvious that Keanu should be a perfect fit for the role.

While we don't have access to a Sonic 3 trailer yet, one was shown privately at Cinemacon in Las Vegas, and rum??ors seem to point to Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and maybe even Robotnik, joining forces to stop Shadow's rampage.

Personally, I ha??dn't been very hyped for this movie. Now? I'm through the roof. I'm so ready to hear Keanu Reeves voice Shadow the Hedgehog as he wreaks havoc and causes mayhem in his quest to attain the Chaos Emeralds, jumping over buildings on a soupe?d-up motorcycle.

An??d maybe, if my prayers are a??nswered, they'll give him a gun too.

The post Keanu Reeves Cast as Shadow in Sonic 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

After being found guilty in two cases of insider trading, Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka has resurfaced again on Twitter. This time, Naka used the new headlines around Yu Miyake, producer of Square Enix's Dragon Quest ??series, as a chance to air a little mor?e of that beef.

In late 2022, Naka was arrested ??under suspicion of conducting insider trading while employed at Square Enix. He subsequently plead guilty in court last July, and was given a 30-month prison sentence and a hefty fine of 172.5 million yen (about $1.2 million). It's been roughly 16 months since his last Twitter post but, on April 7, Naka popped out of nowhere to comment on recent developments at Square Enix; specifically on the news of Yu Miyake leaving his post as Dragon Quest's producer.

On April 5, Bloomberg reported that Square Enix is undergoing a reorganization, which includes Miyake, who's been a producer on Dragon Quest since 1992, being shuffled over to oversee the company's mobile games. Naka, who worked at Square Enix for a few years until 2021, took the opportunity to make fresh allegations against Miyake, suggesting he lied when presenting evidence d?uring Naka's tri??al.

In his post, as translated by Siliconera, Naka wrote, "This person submitted a memo written with lies (and there is proof [of that]) at the trial." The "this person" in the equation is Miyake, with Naka suggesting the former Dragon Quest producer lied court.

According to Naka, his split from Square Enix was far from civil. After joining the company to develop his newest title, Balan Wonderworld, he claimed he was removed as director from the project roughly six months before its launch. In an April 2022 thread translated by Cheesemeister, Naka even announced he would be suing Square Enix, saying the company didn't "value" its fans and had ignored his attempts to address issues with Balan Wonderworld before its launch. Considering everything that's happened since then and the lack of any updates, it's safe to assume Naka's law?suit didn't really go anywhere.

The post Sonic co-creator Yuji Naka returns to?? Twitter for the first time s??ince his insider trading lawsuit appeared first on Destructoid.

We've known for just about two years now that a Knuckles TV series was on the way. Today, we get our first taste of what to expec??t when the show drops on ?April 26.

If you enjoyed Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, it looks like we're in store for more of the same. Just with more Knuckles, still played by Idris Elba, which is great! This first Knuckles trailer is meaty with a duration of about two-and-a-half minutes. It sets the tone for the Paramount Plus series?? as we see some of the Echidna's purpose, villains, an?d more.

Just the other day we saw our first Sonic the Hedgehog 3 teaser drop, which also confirmed the return of Jim Carrey's Dr. Robotnik. In this first Knuckles trailer, we see a new villain? that seems like a solid foi?l for to the great Echidna Warrior.

This unnamed villain is played by Rory McCann. The actor is perhaps best known for portraying the massive fan-favorite Sandor Clegane, also known as The Hound, in HBO's Game of Thrones.

McCann's character and his underlings have access to Knu?ckles' powers in the streaming series. This seemingly sets up equally powered battles between the opposing factions.

What has Knuckles been up to?

As for Knuckles' motivations, he appears to have hit a bit of a slump following the Sonic 2 movie. This series takes place directly after the sequel but before the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Knuckles finally finds purpose in training a new warrior though. That student? Tom Wachowski's Deputy of Green Hil?ls, Wade ??Whipple.

There's likely to be plenty of buddy cop-esque comedy between Knuckles and Wade throughout the six-episode limited series. The short episode count may have been a great decision for the show because it looks fantastic quality-wise. We'll see how this new chapter of the Sonic cinematic universe turns out when Knuckles begins streaming via Paramount Plus on April 26.

The post First Knuckles trailer looks awesome, and drops? the series release date appeared first on Destructoid.

After yesterday's title reveal and announcement of Jim Carrey's return for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic fans were eating well. Now, IGN revealed that six actors have been added to the cast in unknown roles, including alum from Breaking Bad, Ted Lasso, and Watchmen.

As IGN states, the upcoming third installment in the live-action Sonic The Hedgehog film series will add on Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones), Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso), Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island), Alyla Browne (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), James Wolk (Watchmen), and Sofia Pernas (Blood & Treasure).

Alongside the new ac?tors, all of the original cast and voice actors are returning. This includes Ben Schwartz's Sonic, James Marsden's Tom, Tika Sumpter's Maddie, Idris ?Elba's Knuckles, Lee Majdoub's Agent Stone, and Colleen O'Shaughnessey's Tails.

Can You Feel The Sunshine?

Alyla Browne is an interesting one, considering she's the youngest of the bunch. With the movie being Shadow's full debut, it's not hard to imagine her playing his only human companion, Maria. In Sonic Adventure 2, Maria Robotnik is a terminally ill girl who connects with Shadow. If they're to tell Shadow's ori????gin story, she's a huge part of why he's the way he is.

The Sonic Adventure comparisons get larger with the addition of Krysten Ritter. The Breaking Bad and Jessica Jones actress is a big win, considering her solid resume. But what does it have to do with Sonic Adventure 2? IGN makes a slight nod to a rumor that she may play Rogue the Bat, a spy character who first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 and has since become a staple of Sonic games.

After all this, who's playing Shadow the Hedgehog? Unfortunately, it's still under wraps at this time. But fear not, I did write a list of potential actors for the spiky anti-hero a month ago. If you want more Shadow before the film's release, SEGA just revealed Sonic X Shadow Generations, a remaster of the 2011 game.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 races into theaters on December 20 this year. Before that, a TV spinoff featuring Knuckles will launch on Paramount+ in the summer.

The post Breaking Bad and Ted Lasso alums join the c??as?t of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

This morning brought us our first Sonic the Hedgehog 3 teaser trailer, and with it, indications that Ji??m Carrey will return as the nefarious Dr. Robotnik.

Paramount Pictures dropped the twenty-second tease this morning which showcased the Sonic 3 logo alongside confirmation of the movie's December 2024 release date. In the background audio of the clip, ??you can hear Jim Carrey's distinct laughter as the iconic ??Sonic villain.

You don't have to merely go on Carrey's Doctor Eggman laugh as proof of his return. Variety also confirmed the news this morning.

Carrey, one of the most prolific comedic actors of all time, revealed in 2022 that he would be retiring from acting. Speaking to Access Hollywood, Carrey stated "I’m retiring. Yeah, probably. I’m being ??fairly serious."

He went on to note that he likes "my quiet life." Carrey said, "If the angels bring some sort of script that’s written in gold ink that says to me that it’s going to be really important for people to see, I might continue down the road, but I’m taking a break.�/p>

Carrey's quote came out shortly before Sonic the Hedgehog 2 went on to be wildly successful at the box office. So while the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 sc??ript likely isn't "written in gold ink," Carrey's paycheck to retu??rn as Dr. Robotnik just may be.

You won't have to wait until December to get your Sonic movie universe fix, though. Knuckles, a six-episode live-action series is planned for early 2024 on Paramount Plus. The series will feature Idris Elba returning to voice the warrior Echidna. It will take place between the events of the Sonic 2 and Sonic 3 movies.

The post Jim Carrey returns for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

A new Sonic was revealed during PlayStation's first State of Play of the year. Titled Sonic X Shadow Generations, Shadow is teaming up with Classic and Modern Sonic in a collection ?featuri?ng two different experiences.

Players will have the opportunity to play as Shadow the Hedgehog in a brand-new story campaign or tackle 2D and 3D stages as both Classic and Modern Sonic in a remastered version of Sonic Generations.

Sonic X Shadow Generations is coming to the P?layStation?? 5 and PlayStation 4 in Autumn 2024.

The post Sonic X Shadow Generations dashes onto ?PlayStation this Autumn appeared first on Destructoid.

The December 2023 g?ames lineup involves us turning into blue aliens and harnessing the powers of a flour golem. We'll also be?? helping our favorite Disney characters with farming and other tasks.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Amazon Luna

Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Price: $69.99
Release Date: December 7
Trailer

The Division developer Massive Entertainment is behind the open world of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. You'll be exploring the beautiful Western Frontier, a new area inspired by James Cameron's box office breaking movie series. Available on December 7, this FPS has us playing ?as a Na'vi raised to be a warrior for the RDA but freed after 15 years. We'll be fighting back as we "reconnect with [our] lost heritage," ac??cording to the game's official website.

"It’s clear this is an open-world Ubisoft game, but there’s enough different there to make it feel like a fresh experience as well," writes our own Steven Mills in a preview of the new Ubisoft title.

This game seems similar to the Far Cry series as you? craft your own gear, gain access to a?? variety of weapons like shotguns and assault rifles, and take over outposts. Hopefully the game will be more interesting than the first movie's Unobtanium storyline.

Born of Bread - PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC

Publisher: Dear Villagers
Developer: WildArts Studio Inc.
Price: $24.99
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

Getting anxious for the Paper Mario: The Thousand Door remake? You'll want to check out Born of Bread while you wait. It has a vibrant art style, a similar turn-based combat system, and a story that seems just as silly. "Born of Bread puts a twist on turn-based combat tropes with a fun interaction system that will test your reflexes," says the game's Steam page. "This interactive system also features a weaknesss and?? resistance system ??that makes battles more strategic."

The RPG seems memorable, as evidenced by our preview from PAX East earlier this year.

The combat system reacts to the timing of your button presses like the Paper Mario games that many enjoy. You'll also be solving puzzles with each character's abilities as you explore this world. It releases on December 5.

Disney Dreamlight Valley (1.0 release) - PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC

Publisher: Gameloft
Developer: Gameloft
Price: $39.99 and higher
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

The 1.0 release of Disney Dreamlight Valley and the expansion A Rift In Time is finally arriving on December 5. This game is similar to Animal Crossing, in which you're befriending Disney characters, harvesting crops, and finishing side quests along the way like making dishes for Ratatouille's Remy. You're also upgrading shops and other resources available to you. Somehow, there's an intr?iguing storyline that meshes all of these Disney icons together and have it make sense.

It's a relaxing adventure, especially for those who love almost every Disney movie like me. You may want to get the Gold Edition, which comes with the DLC A Rift In Time and 5,000 Moonstones, one of the game's currencies. And yes, it won't be free-to-play, ?unfortunately. I guess it's someth??ing else Eeyore can complain about.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince - Switch

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $59.99
Release Date: December 1
Trailer

Heading to the Switch exclusively is Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, the next entry in the long-running JRPG series. Similar to the Pokemon ser??ies, you'll be collecting monsters and training them. As the story proceeds, the game's environments will change from Spring to Summer and so on.

Synthesizing two monsters to make more powerful allies returns, too. "Players can experiment and eventually unlock over 500 monsters, including franchise favourites, dark lords, and completely new creatures," says Square Enix in a press release. The game's also online, so you can compete against your friends and foes throughout the world. I'm excited, but man, I'll skip over the Overture theme if it plays after it playing in so many trailers. Nevertheless Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince releases on December 1.

Sonic Dream Team - iOS, Mac, Apple Arcade

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega Hardlight
Price: Free with Apple Arcade subscription
Release Date: December 5
Trailer

Last up is the Blue Blur himself, Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Dream Team. This time, you can play as six different char?acters, including Sonic, Amy, Tails, Cheese, Knuckles, and Rouge. In this 3D platformer, you're trying ??to jump and spindash your way through Eggman's nightmare dreamscapes.

From the trailers and screenshots, it looks like a solid 3D entry, despite being exclusive to Apple Arcade. It's far more interesting than Sonic Superstars, that's for sure. It will be available on the subscription service on December 5. Hopefully this? game heads to consoles soon after.

Honorable mentions

??This month isn't ju?st some RPG goodness and the lightning quick speed of Sonic and his friends. There's far more than that. Who knows? There might be some shadowdrop surprises at The Game Awards. The honorable mentions include:

• Batman: Arkham Trilogy (Switch) - December 1
• SteamWorld Build (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, Switch)- December 1
• A Highland Song (Switch, PC) - December 5
• Enclave HD (PS5) - December 5
• Arizona Sunshine II (PC, PSVR2) - December 7
• House Flipper 2 (PC) - December 13
• Bulletstorm VR (PC, PSVR2) - December 14
• Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising (PS4, PS5, PC) - December 14
• Pokemon Scarlet & Violet: The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Switch) - December 14
• Raccoo Venture (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Switch, PC) - December 14
• Paranoid (PC) - December 14
• Trinity Fusion (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC) - December 15
• Resident Evil 4 (iOS) - December 20

The post Most anticipated games – December 2023 appeared first on Destructoid.

Sonic the Hedgehog, known as Ogilvie Maurice Hedgehog among true fans, is one of the most famous mascots in video game history. Still, unlike Mario, who's yet to appear in a mainline game that's not an absolute blast, the blue blur is reminiscent of those once-promising actors wh??o had to start taking roles in C-list movies to maintain their exuberantly decadent lifestyle. It's a tough pill to swallow, but we have to accept that Sonic has starred in about as many crappy games as he has in good ones.

Which one is the worst of the worst?

[caption id="attachment_395790" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

10. Sonic Labyrinth

This little-known Game Gear tit??le tells the marvelous story of ??that time when Dr. Eggman replaced Sonic's fast shoes with slow ones.

You can tell someone believed Sonic could do no wrong when they made a game that did away with the thing we liked most about the series. The bold move could've worked, yeah, provided that the developers had put solid mechanics and puzzles in place to make up for the absence of speed. They didn't. The only possibly interesting thing here is witnessing Sonic's first foray into the isometric perspective that we'd later see in Sonic 3d Blast. More on that other mess later.

Sonic Labyrinth just isn't fun as it is. It wouldn't have been fun even if it played fast either, though that would have at least made it confusing, uncontrollable, and thus at least pretty funny.

[caption id="attachment_395791" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

09. Sonic and the Black Knight

One of ?many gimmicky Sonic games. In this once-an?ticipated Wii exclusive, Sonic has a sword! Isn't that badass? Maybe, if the goddamn thing worked properly.

Though it looked nice and featured some neat Sonic tunes, most critics and fans couldn't help but point out the?? fact that the game just didn't make good use ??of the Wiimote. The haphazard integration of the Wii's controller made the combat go from unfun to straight-up broken.

Do you know who also didn't find the game all that badass? Well, Sega itself, considering how the company pulled it from store shelves just one year after its release along with all other poorly-reviewed Sonic games in an attempt to increase the value of the Sonic brand.

In any case, Sonic as a brave sir knight reeks of the exact same desperation that Transformers: The Last Knight did �the one where we find out the Transformers' unexpected connection to Camelot—and I just can't help but find that hilarious. Forget the upcoming GI Joe x Transformers crossover. We want an awful Transformers x Sonic collab now.

[caption id="attachment_395793" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

08. Shadow the Hedgehog

I must apologize for the attempted bamboozl??ing. I know damn well that Shadow isn't just a re-skinned Sonic, but please allow me to explain.

Even a hypothetically decent version of this game would only ever appeal to Sonic fans, so they’re its only victims. They're only most of the people who'll look for an article such as this in search of vindication. Also, I will never have the opportunity to rank the worst Shadow The Hedgehog games because no company in it?s right mind will ever make another one.

The devs seemingly believed that arming the edgiest-possible character with guns would make up for all sorts of technical shortcomings, and I find that beautiful. Like many games on this list, Shadow The Hedgehog is rough in terms of playability, but it features three different endings where Shadow murders Dr. Eggman with a Karate chop, s??o I just can't put it ??in a worse place than this.

[caption id="attachment_395797" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

07. Sonic Free Riders

Sonic on the Kinect. Do I really need to explai??n myse?lf on this one? Ugh, OK.

What's wild is that Sonic Free Riders looked good, had some sweet Sonic tunes, featured a decent enough story, and had a lot of stuff to do. But guess what, it played like crap. As with nearly all things Kinect, Sonic Riders was highly unresponsive. I'd like to believe it just refused to force its owners to perform all the embarrassing moves required to get it to work. If that's the case, then I salute you, Sonic Free Riders.

[caption id="attachment_395794" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

06. Sonic The Fighters

You know things are about to get wacky when not even the title makes sense. What the hell is that "the" doing ??in the middle of the title? That reads almost as awkward as this thing plays.

I’d argue that most Sonic games aren’t even very good at doing what they’re supposed to, which is making Sonic's speed enjoyable, so it comes as no surprise that I don’t like Sonic when he’s trying to be Tekken. It's just so sad to see all these once?-successful characters having to resort to fighting it out to pay their b?ills.

Actually, to be entirely fair, this doesn't feel like it was trying to outright copy Tekken. This feels like they were trying to make a Sonic fighting game in a garage where the only game they had for reference was Star Wars: Masters Of Teras Kasi, one of the worst fighting games of all time. If tha?t really w??as their plan then, well, they've succeeded.

[caption id="attachment_395795" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

05. Sonic and the Secret Rings

I think it's absolutely wild that Sonic’s take on the Arabian Nights doesn't fall on its face for accidentally featuring some tone-deaf message regarding the Middle East. Surprisingly, the game doesn’t accidentally say anythi??ng offensive, thoug??h that might be because it doesn't really have anything to say at all. The gameplay is half-baked, but what steals the show is an ending so dumb it immediately earns this game a high place on this list.

Spoilers: Sonic gets to make a wish to make his love interest happy �naturally a human-looking girl, because Sonic is like Mass Effect’s Shepard before he was even a thing �and instead of wishing for basically anything that could actually improve her life, he asks for a mountain of handkerchiefs so that she can cry as much as she wants. Yes, I'm not making this up.

[caption id="attachment_395796" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image By Sega[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_395798" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

03. Sonic 3D Blast

This one isn’t a glitchy mess or anything, but Sonic 3D Blast shows an interesting case of a Sonic game wh??ere the team seemingly managed to see their vision come to fruition. The problem here is that their vision sucked. The game does away with the traditional 2D sidescrolling gameplay and replaces it with an unfun isometric perspective that, guess what, is still 2D. Sonic moves awkwardly, and the game's levels just aren't fun enough to suffer t?hrough.

We learn to see the signs as we grow. If it had been a good game, simply calling it Sonic 3D would have ??sufficed in getting everyone hyped. That desperate "blast" at the end of the title, probably a reference to the Genesis' much-touted and greatly exaggerated "blast processing", should have raised eyebrows. Sadly, most of us were too young and naive to see it back then.

This game hurts me on a personal level. Eight-year-old me didn’t have a Saturn or a PS1 yet, so I was thrilled to know that my Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) had a Sonic game that was supposedly in 3D. I got my parents to buy it, and that was the first time I felt seriously disappointed by a game I had high hopes for. It's highly unlikely that I was the only kid who had Sonic 3D Blast as nothing but an eye-opener when it came to? dealing with unreasonable expectations.

[caption id="attachment_395799" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

02. Sonic The Hedgehog (aka Sonic �6)

Sonic '06 is bad to the point of being ashamed of its own existence. I mean, otherwise, how come one of the best speedrun strategies involves having Shadow kill himself? The game doesn't want any of its characters to live in that doomed world anymore, so it rewards them with the e??nding credi??ts upon death.

Ok, now, even though that's a real speedrunning strate?gy, I'm well aware that this is yet another glitch. No way such a game would ever achieve this level of poetry w??ithout it being by accident.

There's nothing really new to say about Sonic '06. Even t??hough expectations weren't exactly through the roof anymore, it still manag?ed to disappoint greatly due to being unplayable upon release. Also, it looked creepy as all hell. Why is the main hub an asset-flip-looking city populated entirely by humans? Will Sonic ever grow tired of trying to seduce human girls?

You'll have a better time watching video compilations of Sonic '06 glitches on Youtube than playing it.

[caption id="attachment_213077" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Image by Sega[/caption]

01. Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric

You knew damn well that the first place was only ever going to be either Boom or �6. Why Boom at #1? Well, I don’t even think it’s necessarily worse than �6??. They’re both so bad that they verge on total unplayability.

After some time playing, we all lose the ability to count all the flaws, but I think this one is more deserving of the top spot because, at the time of its release, fans must've been like "eh, at least there's no way it'll be as bad as '06!". And it was. You gotta award s??ome points to that kind of knife twist.

And there's more.

Whereas there's no alternate reality in which I could see Sonic '06's creepy human-Hedgehog crossover city working, I could totally see Boom working out. It's based on a popular animated series, and it actually looks cool. Sadly, the g?ame went through a very rough development cycle that forced the te??am to release it in a terribly unpolished st?ate.

Boom just has a much sadder story �the story of its development, mind you �and that's why it gets the top spot of the worst Sonic games. Also, Sonic '06 at least had some fine classic Sonic tunes.

The post The 10 worst Sonic games, ranked appeared first on Destructoid.

Gotta go live

Sonic the Hedgehog's official Twitter page has just announced that Sonic's YouTube and Twitch channels will host a new?? Sonic Central on June 23. The live showcase is akin to something like a Nintendo Direct, and wi??ll tease some of Sonic's "upcoming projects, partnerships, and events" that will take place this year.

??//twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/167154867?1962521600?s=20

While still don't know any details about a possible new main entry in the Sonic series, we know about some of the treats Sega has in store for fans. Nintendo has just announced that Sonic will return in Sonic Superstars this Fall.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0il5KpfzvCU

Superstars is an entirely new game made in the vein of the classic 2D Sonic games. It'll feature modern graphics and we ?don't just get to play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. We'll get to play them all ?at the same time in local four-player co-op mode.

If you think Fall is too far away, then fret not. Sonic will also return in Sonic Origins Plus this very Friday.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoyoWlOJILc

Origins Plus is a collection that features four classic Sonic games in HD, as well as 12 Sonic ga??mes from the Game Gear. It also boasts some new features like new challenges, modes, a playable Amy, and even her super?? form.

//tw??itter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1671213321880748032?s=20

But as with all things Sonic, the backlash is never too far away. Twitter users are already claiming that the game has been leaked, and fans aren't happy with the quality of the sound of the Game Gear remasters. Twitter user Kirisame st?ates t??hat he has analyzed the audio files and complains that the stereo changes actually make the game sound worse.

//twitter.com/kirisamemofo/statu?s/1?670235195050536961?s=20

To learn more about it all and more, stay tuned to Sonic's Twitch or Youtube channels th?is Friday, June 23, at 8 am PST or 11 am EST.

The post Sonic Central stream teasing “upcoming projects” airs on June 23 appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 4/29 to 5/4/2023

-Queen of Philosophy tries to predict the path to Mortal Kombat 12.

-Spazzzh20 writes a fully uncensored review of Sonic Frontiers.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat 2 and Dance music.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Mortal Kombat and Blues music.

-Taterchimp celebrated their birthday b??y doing a ch?arity gaming stream for kids.

-ChronoLynxx opens t?his week's TGIF comm??unity forum for random discussions.

Thanks for the blogs this week, folks, and thanks as always to Lord Spencer for the recap. I??f you wanna join in on the HOT TAKE party, then head on over to the Cblogs section right now. Spill your thoughts on all matters gaming, and you will find yourself recapped on this here front page next week.

The post Who would you like to se??e cast in the Mortal Kombat movie sequel? appeared first on Destructoid.

Insert pun about going fast here

Sonic the Hedgehog made his LEGO debut in 2016 as a Level Pack for LEGO Dimensions. As the first official LEGO Sonic s??et, it included a minifigure of the blue blur, as well as a miniature replication of Tails' Tornado biplane and the Sonic Speedster, modeled after Sonic's car from his racing?? sub-series.

Sadly, LEGO Dimensions didn't stick around. But that wasn't the end of Sonic's collaboration with the LEGO brand. Last year marked the debut of the LEGO Ideas Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone set. While LEGO Ideas sets are generally a one-time thing, Sonic will be sti??cking around for a bit as he's set to receive four new sets later this year.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfHq1GznyKI

If that trailer piqued your in?terest, the first four sets of the Sonic the Hedgehog line are:

• Sonic's Speed Sphere Challenge (76990)
• Tails' Workshop and Tornado Plane (76991)
• Amy's Animal Rescue Island (76992)
• Sonic's Green Hill Zone Loop Challenge (76994)

Hopefully, this series ends up as popular as the other LEGO video game lines (Minecraft, Super Mario, Overwatch) because I'd love to see more characters from the series as minifigures for me to collect. Rogue the Bat and Cream the Rabbit? Yes, please! And who wouldn't want a Knuckles set, especially with his solo series for Paramount+ going into production?

The post Sonic has four new LEGO sets coming this year appeared first on Destructoid.

It's currently the highest rated Sonic game on Steam

Once upon a time, April Fool’s Day was an internet-wide extravaganza. Everyone from mobile game developers to Google participated in the jokester's holiday, to varied results. These days, the festivities still exist, but they’re tepid enough to co??n?fuse legitimate news with gags. That said, if there was one clear winner of April Fool’s Day 2023, it is absolutely Sonic the Hedgehog.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, the free promotional Sonic the Hedgehog game released for PC via Steam on April 1, has surprised one million downloads in less than a week. Katie Chrzanowski, the social media manager for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, shared this news on April 5. The success of the title is particularly meaningful to Chrzanowski, as she brought together the team that pitched and? created it.

“it's definitely not standard process for a Social team to develop and publish a game,�said Chrzanowski in an extended Twitter thread, “but everyone was so patient and helpful in guiding us through the process and I'm so thankful for them going out of their way to assist.�/p>

//twitter.com/KatieChrz/status/1643677451208??519680

A new legend in the Sonic canon

Clearly, this unorthodox approach worked for the game in the end. Not only does The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog have a spectacular download count, it has been received enormously well. With an Overwhelmingly Positive review consensus, the game unironically is the #61^st highest rated gam?e on Steam. While the novelty of Sonic's murder clearly drew eyes on the title to begin with, the quality of the content itself clearly lived up to expectations.

“This game has no business being SO GOOD as an April Fool's joke! Like what?!�Says one top-rated review on Steam. “Unironically a very fun game. Great music, well written plot and characterization.�Reads yet another top review.

It’s important to put this release into context, of course. A free game with an immediately eye-catching hook will naturally garner enormous goodwill from the community. Whether The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is legitimately, seriously the best Sonic the Hedgehog game is obviously debatable.

Still, seeing the success of this little game that could is undoubtedly heartwarming. The Sonic community is famously passionate for this franchise, to the point that one of the greatest Sonic g?ames of all time is sometimes called a fa?ngame. Chrzanowski’s team was clearly able to tap i??nto that memetic energy that has kept the fandom alive for all these years and give something special back ??to the fans. Or maybe everyone was just ready to see Sonic the Hedgehog murdered.

Either way, congratulations to everyone responsible for givin??g the people what they a??lways wanted.

The post The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog surpasses 1 million downloa?ds appeared first on Destructoid.

Featuring Denuvo the DRM

If you’ve been holding off on buying Sonic Colors: Ultimate because you want to play it on PC and you can’t stand the Epic Games Store, your day has come. Sort of. Sonic Colors: Ultimate has launched on Steam.

Initially released for the Wii in 2010, Sonic Colors is one of the series�games held in higher regard. The 2021 �i>Ultimate�version refurbishes it for newer consoles, remastering the graphics and soundtrack while also adding some additional features. Destructoid’s own Chris Carter described it as “one of the better ones to trot out.�Yeah! Lik??e a pony!

But let’s tug the reins here because reception to the PC port hasn’t been exactly glowing. Steam users are reporting that it’s a pretty rough version filled with “glitches and bugs.�I’ve skimmed through the list of reported issues to see if I could summarize better, but I’ve only succeeded in finding that “everything�is broken. Audio, graphics, UI, and controls. Of course, being on th??e PC platform means that most people will get a different experience based on minute differences in both? the hardware and software environment they’re running.

However, you should also note that Sonic Colors: Ultimate also comes saddled with Denuvo DRM.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3MCqTdsVKc

It’s unlikely a patch is coming to fix ?things anytime soon, as this is the same version as what was released on the Epic Games Store over a year ago, and it’s still in the same rough shape. I’m not suggesting you avoid this release entirely–I’m not your game-mom–just know what you’re pote??ntially getting into.

Sonic Colors: Ultimate is a??vailable on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and on PC through the Epic Games ??Store and Steam.

The post Sonic Colors: Ultimate finally crashes onto Steam appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 1/19 to 01/28/2023

-GoofierBrute continues their Games That Time Forgot blogging series with this write-up on Fire Emblem: Fates.

-Spazzzh20 reviews "The Worst Sonic Game Ever" in Sonic Frontiers.

-Exber discusses similar themes in three very differ?ent games.

-RoomWithaMoose sh?ares their own gaming award prizes for 2022 in this? blog.

-Siddartha85 shares their A-list of games released in 2022.

-Siddartha85 shares their B-li?st list of movies released in 2022.

-Lord Spencer reviews One as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Chrono Trigger and Latin music.

-Xeo explores the concept of the Horror genre.

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's TGIF community forum for open discuss?ion.

Thanks for all of your fine blogs, opinions, and write-ups, folks, not just this week. We really do appreciate each and every one of them. And thanks to Lord Spencer, as always, for taking the time out of their week to recap them for this here front page. As always, if you wanna join in on the HOT TAKE party for the discourse of 2023, (and there will be discourse), then head on over to the Cblogs section right now. We are aware that the cblog editor has been incredibly testy of late. We apologize. We are hoping we can encourage someone ??more tech-savvy than ourselves to take a look at it this ??year.

The post How are you finding Fire Emblem Engage? appeared first on Destructoid.

And there's much more in store

Sonic the Hedgehog has certainly made his presence known these past 12 months �So much so, that Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka believes that 2022 might have just witnessed "The biggest year in Sonic history."

Speaking in a developer round-up article in Famitsu, Iizuka points to various successful multimedia projects featuring The Blue Blur and his pals. These include Paramount Pictures' hugely successful sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sega's major PC and console release Sonic Frontiers, retro compilation Sonic Origins, and the recent Netflix animated series Sonic Prime. And that's not to mention the launch of the new Sonic LEGO line, which debute??d almost one year ago to the day.

Riding high off of new interest in the iconic S??ega mascot, Iizuka notes that Sonic Team is far from done with ??the series, and hopes to continue this wave of new multimedia endeavors well into 2023 and beyond. As good as 2022 has been for Sonic and pals, it looks like the coming year intend to build upon the series new and veteran fanbase.

"We are preparing a second wave to keep the fans happy and maintain that momentum going into 2023," notes Iizuka. "We already announced additional content for Sonic Frontiers, but there is a? lot more outside of that, so please look fo??rward to it."

Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Origins are available now on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Meanwhile, Sonic Prime ??is now available to watch exclusively on Netflix.

Japanese creators discuss 2023 ambitions [Gematsu]

The post Sonic Team head considers 2022 ‘The biggest year in Sonic history’ appeared first on Destructoid.

It better have a 'Sonic Sez' segment

We are only a few short weeks away from the return of an icon, as Sonic Frontiers prepares for its November debut on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms �And while fans wait for The Blue Blur to return, Sega hopes to perform some important sc??ene-setting via a narrative prologue, to be delivered in both comic-book and animation form.

//twitter.com/sonic_hed??gehog/status/1580921453058269184?s=20&t=zeTgb9VfOmVDW23JNKjcnQ

As revealed on the official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter, Sega is preparing to drop a two-part digital comic, that will offer up a little backstory on the events that preceded Sonic finding himself isolated in a strange, eerie, and monolithic new world.  Sonic the Hedgehog: Convergence is w?ritten by frequent Sonic scribe Ian Flynn �wi??th characterful artwork by Evan Stanley & Heather Breckel �and will no doubt provide suitable reading to get series' fans hype fires burning brightly before the game's big launch.

While no further information was offered, Sega did announce that an animated short is also in the works, which will again help lay the groundwork for the new adventure.  Sega has utilized animation frequently in its marketing of Sonic the Hedgehog titles.  And usually to very good effect, as the world of Sonic and his anthro pals always lends itself very well to the medium of animation �perhaps better than any other gaming franchise.  We'll be sure to give you a heads-up when the Sonic Frontiers comic and animated short are available.

Sonic Frontiers launches November 8 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo S?witch platforms.

The post Sonic Frontiers to set the ?scene with prologue cartoon and comic appeared first on Destructoid.

Back in my day we just jumped

Sega, in an effort to win over those still sitting on the proverbial fence, continues to roll out new trailers for its upcoming 3D adventure, Sonic Frontiers �The studio's latest trailer focuses on the skills and abilities that our iconic hero will put to use as he battles through a strange and e??sot??eric new world.

While most fans of The Blue Blur has been happy to throw a lil' spin dashin' in harm's way, Sonic Frontiers will see the high-speed hog adopt a wide variety of new combat moves, ranging from dash kicks and punches to homing attacks, head stomps, and the return of the famous "Drop Dash" ability. Given that Sonic Frontiers' army of guardians is particularly well armo??red, with varying weak points, it will be up to the player to adapt to?? each encounter, choosing the right spiny tool for the job.

//youtu.be/I2tysfV9X18

As he progresses through this strange new world, Sonic will be able to upgrade his range of abilities, adding powered-up versions of his original moveset alongside new attacks and even defensive measures such as parries, like yer boy is getting his Third Strike on. Smart, flowing combinations of these attacks will fill Sonic's fight meter, ev??entually opening up the "Phantom Rush" ability �a flurry of moves and attacks that will allow him to take down even the mightiest of opponents.

Having spent a little time with Sonic Frontiers myself, I can say that I found the game's combat, controls, and movement fluidity very crisp and responsive. The early concerns about Sega's new epic remains its bizarrely juxtaposed tone, one that sees Sonic dropped into an aesthetic that doesn't quite fit his typical style. Sonic Frontiers has promise �it looks good, runs smoothly, and controls satisfyingly �but there is something about its core concept, style, and its marriage of wisecracking 16-bit hero with grim, monolithic landscaping that is yet to truly synergiz??e.

Sonic Frontiers launches November 8 on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch platforms. Don't forget to take a look at the fun Monster Hunter DLC which will arrive in-game soon after launch.

The post The Blue Blur gets fighting fit in new Sonic Front?iers trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Spot Dodge: A Live Nintendo Podcast discusses Splatoon 3, Gamescom 2022, and Sonic Frontiers

Welcome back! It is a new Tuesday, which means tonight there will be a new episode of Spot Dodge: A Live Nintendo Podcast exclusively on Destructoid. Topics: Tonight, we're discussing Gamescom announcements, Sonic Frontiers getting progressively better trailers, what we expect from Splatoon 3's si??ngle-player-focused Nintendo Treehouse Live event, an?d more!

//www.youtube??.com/watch?v=2hw0N52wonQ&ab_channel=Destructoid

Our lovely cast from around the web: Brett Medlock (me) and Mary Stowe from Destructoid, John Friscia from The Escapist, Greg Bargas from PC Invas??ion, and Brett Larsen, our extra special guest. Behind the scenes, we have Enthusiast Gaming's Eric Weichhart live-editing the show.

S?pot Dodge is a weekly Nintendo Podcast here at Destructoid where we dedicate an hour or two to go over the latest Nintendo news and discuss the games we’re playing. If you’re a fan of Nintendo Switch, RPGs, or having a good time, Spot Dodge will be a g?reat addition to your podcast rotation.

Spot Dodge is streaming live every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET on Destructoid's YouTube and Twitch channels. Are you watching from your phone? We have that covered, as we are streaming on our TikTok too. Don’t be af??raid to join the chat and be part of the?? show!

Afterward, the show will be available on-demand for audio listeners via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. The live video version will remain on both YouTube and Twitch (don't forget to follo??w and subscribe). So?? many options!

The post Sonic Frontiers finally looks like a?n actual Sonic game appeared first on Destructoid.

The Blue Blur returns to the silver screen

Paramount Pictures has quickly realized that it is on to a good thing and to strike while the iron is most assuredly hot �as such, the studio has announced that the second sequel in the hugely successful Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise will premiere December 2024, a little over two years on from the release of the most recent entry, Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

"Running faster, flying higher, and punching harder," teased the studio on the official Sonic Twitter. "#SonicMovie3 hits theatres on December 20, 2024."

//twitter.com/SonicMovie?/status/1556795919688798208?s=20&t=cR4FO9LhiLrIFBXxSEkAsQ

No further details pertaining to plot, cast, or crew were announced, though it would be very unsurprising to see Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, and Colleen O'Sh??aughnessey return to their respective roles of Sonic, Knuckles, and Tai??ls. Given the success of the previous movies, one would also expect Paramount to roll out the bucks to resecure director Jeff Fowler for the new sequel.

The original Sonic the Hedgehog movie was launched to praise from critics and fans in February 2020, one of the last major releases before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began wreaking havoc on the global film industry. Following a tumultuous production period beset by the notorious "Ugly Sonic" reveal, the finished film was a massive success, earning a huge $319 million glob??al box office.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premiered in April of this year and, while critical praise was a little cooler on the movie itself, the box office was not, with the film pulling in $402 million. When you factor in that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 has been given a prime holiday spot for its release date, it's easy to see that Paramount has massive faith in the franchise, and clearly expects the third movie to perform better still. As for Ugly Sonic... well, he's doing surprisingly well, all things considered.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 premieres in theaters December 20, 2024.

The post Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie dated for Dece?mber 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Gonna Stop Fast

[Update: Amidst recent criticism regarding the state of Sonic Origins, Sonic social media manager Katie Chrzanowski has noted that the Sega team is aware of play??ers' issues with the title and that it is currently "working on fixing a variety of issues right now." More information will be forthcoming.]

//twitter.com/KatieChrz/status/15476804957?97800963?s=20&t=GfKPR3femFwg78J6oOM_LQ

A renowned modder has canceled their ongoing project to mod Sega's latest release, Sonic Origins, stati?ng that the state of the title's game code is making their plans for the mod project unfeasible.

As reported by TheGamer, modder Xannan had been working on a homebrew project known as "BetterOrigins" �with the intent of mixing multiple in-game bugs, visual problems, misinterpreted text, and other off-key elements of the retro collection. Speaking candidly on mod website GameBanana, however, Xannan did not hold back their frustration?s in work?ing with the final release.

"Hey, so we dec??ided to stop the development of this project. After really digging into the files for this game, it's become way clearer that this game is absolute shit," wrote Xannan. "We've fixed enough where the game is a bit more serviceable but really, especially without scripts, there's not a whole lot we can 'fix' without just redoing sprites [...] MAYBE I'll come back to this in the future, when script editing becomes a thing. But for now, screw this game."

While it would be easy to write off Xannan's brutal comments as them simply not being part of the original development team, the modder is far from the first person to speak ill of Sonic Origins' final release. Almost immediately after launch, developers Headcannon and Christian Whitehead (of Sonic Mania fame), bot??h lambasted the compendium, opining that the final produ??ct was not reflective of the work the teams had produced �or wanted to produce �for publisher Sega.

"I'm extremely proud of my team for their performance under such pressure, but every one of us is very unhappy about the state of Origins," wrote Headcannon's Simon Thomley on Twitter. "We weren't too thrilled about its pre-submission state either but a lot was beyond our control. "We asked to do major fixes near submission but weren't allowed due to submission and approval rules. We asked about delays early and repeatedly but were told they weren't ??possible. We offered to come back for post-release fixes and updates �we do no??t yet know if this is happening."

While the "BetterOrigins" mod did not see completion, it does feature several updates to correct color, animation, an??d Museum mode text, while also offering a filter displaying a more authentic 1:1 pixel style.

The post Sonic Origins modder cancels project, slams ‘absolute shit’ release (Update) appeared first on Destructoid.

Gotta Interview Fast

Sonic Frontiers might not even be out an?d i??n the players' hands yet, but it appears that the development squad at Sonic Team already knows exactly what is in store for The Blue Blur and his friends in the wake of the open-world adventure's release �that's according to the studio's own head Takashi Iizuka.

Iizuka made the comments in a highly entertaining, rapid-fire video interview with Game Informer reporter and Sonic the Hedgehog megafan Brian Shea. Over the course of eight minutes, Shea hits Iizuka with over 120 questions pertaining to Sonic Frontiers, as well as various elements of the Sonic universe including Chaotix, Amy Rose, Sonic R music?, chili dogs, and the notorious Princess Elise.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjSTwlFuaxk

It's a very fun, lighthearted interview, but among the silliness are some particularly interesting tidbits. For example, we learn that Iizuka's favorite title is the 2001 Dreamcast release Sonic Adventure 2, (which was, incidentally, the title he enjoyed working on the most). Iizuka also notes that he thinks we will see more Sonic Adventure games at some point in the future, and reveals that the team had no idea "Ugly Sonic" would appear in the Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers movie.

Regarding Sonic Frontiers, Iizuka does a pretty good job at ducking most of Shea's more probing questions, though he does reveal, unfortunately, that Big the Cat will not be making an appearance in the upcoming release. Damn. Perhaps my favorite answer of the interview, however, is Iizuka's response to the question "What do you think about the Sonic Boom character designs?"

"To be honest," politely responds the produce??r, "I'm not super-fan about that."

If you are a Sonic the Hedgehog super-fan then you should definitely check the interview out over at Game Informer. It's short, snappy, and fun, with a lot of neat little insights and teases. As for Sonic Frontiers, we can expect the epic adventure to a?rriv?e later this year, when it finally launches on PlayStation, PC, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Sonic Team head knows exactly what’s coming after Sonic Frontiers appeared first on Destructoid.

The Blue Blur speeds into the June lineup

There's a new entry in the June showcase lineu??p, and it's speeding in fast. A new Sonic Central is airing tomorrow, June 7, with information on upcoming projects involving Sonic himself.

Announced on social media today, the Sonic Central will air June 7 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET. You can find the stream either on YouTube or Twitch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxJ5_ovBC_g

The stream will show a look?? at ?what projects, partnerships and events are in store for 2022. No estimation on how long it will run.

//t?witter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/15??33931741592752128

New frontiers

A few Sonic the Hedgehog projects are already in the works that could easily appear here. There's Sonic Frontiers, which has been steadily rolling out new looks at gameplay as part of IGN's First program this month. The early looks at open-world exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat have been getting some mixed reception though. Sega has said Sonic Frontiers is arriving in 2022.

There's also the retro collection Sonic Origins. This packages in a bunch of Sonic the Hedgehog classics, including Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. We got a glimpse at the Mirror Mode option recently, which looks wild. We already know the release date for Sonic Origins t??hough, and it's not?? far off. The retro collection is aiming for June 23, 2022.

As for expanded content, there is a third Sonic the Hedgehog movie in the works. Knuckles is getting his own live-action series as well, and the Sonic Prime series on Netflix. Sonic media is growing to encompass a lot, and we could g?et ??hints about what's in store along those lines.

The Sonic Central does arrive right at the vanguard of a stacked week for streams too. Thursday is the Summer Game Fest Live kickoff, followed by several days of streams including Xbox, the Wholesome Direct, and the PC Gaming Show. You can find a full schedule of all the upcoming streams here.

The post A new Sonic Central is airing on June 7 appeared first on Destructoid.

Also, there's a new short

The Sonic 2 streaming date has come! If you didn't catch the most successful (domestically) video game adaptation yet, you can now. As of this week, it's currently on Paramount Plus (US) �and a trial period or a one-mo??nth subscription is likely l??ess than buying it digitally elsewhere. It's coming to Blu-ray and physical form on August 9.

Also, note that to celebrate the Sonic 2 streaming release, a new short called "Sonic Drone Home" is being teased (which you can peruse below) that comes with digital purchases (or is available on YouTube). While it does feature Ben Schwartz reprising his role as Sonic from the feature films, sadly, Idris Elba and Colleen O'Shaughnessey do not appear to return as Knuckles and Tails respectively. As far as the animation goes, hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the Knuckles TV show.

Having finally caught Sonic 2 yesterday, like the first film, it was a pleasant surprise. While the li??ve-action characters sometimes stop the narrative dead in its tracks, I appreciated the focus on Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, and Jim Carrey is always a delight. I'm really curious who they're going to cast for that post-credits tease character �and how they're going to handle the edge!

//twitter.com/TailsChannel/stat??us?/1528797723431936015

The post Sonic 2 is streaming now and available digitally appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm still having nightmares about those tiny teeth

Who could forget ugly Sonic? After his horrifying design was announced to the world with a poster for the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, he became one of the biggest memes of 2019. Fans, myself included, were disgusted by how human-like he was, especially when it came to his hands, eyes, and teeth. Following the tidal wave of backlash online, the studio finally decided to completely revamp Sonic's design for the live-action movie, and it actually worked out for the better. But it seems that no one has forgotten, and ?certainly? not forgiven.

So when the new Disney+ movie Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers featured a main plot thread of a wide variety of animated characters living alongside humans a la Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the film's director, Akiva Schaffer (of Lonely Island fame), told Polygon that he saw his opportunit??y and took it. That's right, he fought tooth and nail to get Ugly Sonic in the movie, and apparently it took quite a bit of finessing from the studio's lawyers to get the licensing all in order.

//twitter.com/Gus?Lanzetta/status/1527631973153390593

A video has surfaced online of Ugly Sonic in action �the scene featu??res him manning a booth at a fan convention, and discussing newfound opportunities for his caree?r that have arisen from his notoriety online.

The best part? Ugly Sonic is voiced by none other than Tim Robinson of I Think You Should Leave, and?? I honestly couldn't think of anyone better suited for the role. Robinson is able to achieve just the right level of smarminess for t?he character, and I have to admit it does make me want to see more of him. I think it's the fringe suede jacket that seals it for me.

This isn't the first time we've seen a meme become cemented in pop culture history in the past few years �after joke screenshots of Matthew Lillard doing interviews about his character Shaggy for the live-action Scooby-Doo movies surfaced, Powerful Shaggy began to materialize. Now Shaggy is an ultra-powerful fighter in the Warner Bros. Smash clone MultiVersus, which none of the Scooby-Doo shows, movies, or games foreshad??owed. No, Powerful Shaggy started as a meme and has now been cemented in the pop culture canon, and Ugly Sonic foll??ows in his footsteps.

The post Ugly Sonic is back to haunt us in Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers appeared first on Destructoid.

Gotta Get Cash

Sega has proudly announced that Paramount Pictures' Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is offici?ally the highest-grossing movie adaptation of a video game franchise at the U.S. box offi?ce.

The colorful, action-packed sequel has smashed a $331 million USD in U.S. ticket sales, surpassing that of its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog, which raked in an equally impressive $319 million during its spring 2020 release run. For the sake of clarity, it should be noted that the original movie was released during the ea?rly days of the global COVID-19 lockdown legislation, which obviously hampered t??he film's initial performance at the box office.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=47r8FXYZWNU

Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which opened April 8 in North American movie theaters and March 31 in international territories, had a fantastic launch, grossing $7??2.1 million in its U.S. opening weekend while debuting at No.1 in the box office c?harts in 47 global markets. The sequel is still y??et to open in Japan, which will only serve to add higher numbers to the film's bottom line. Directed by Jeff Fowler, the movie follows The Blue Blur, his buddy Tails, and their human pals as they attempt to wrest control of the mysterious Chaos Emerald away from no-goodnik Dr. Robotnik and a mysterious echidna known as "Knuckles."

Of course, the forever fascinating footnote to this entire affair is the controversy that plagued the initial trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog. The disastrous reception to Sonic's initial appearance led to the entire character design (and all related merchandise) being scrapped and restarted. It was a studio decision that, without a doubt, saved the film series from being remembered as one of gaming's greatest calamities, and a reminder that, sometimes, it's best t?o simply not mess with the classics.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 opens in Japanese theaters on August 19.

The post Sonic the Hedgehog 2 U.S. box office sees highest gro??s??s for video game adaptation appeared first on Destructoid.

Gotta stream fast

The animated Sonic universe keeps on expanding. Today, we got a quick teaser of a new Sonic animation coming to Netflix, Sonic Prime.

Sonic Prime's suitably speedy teaser features the hedgehog himself, racing along what looks like the Green Hill Zone. We don't get much more than a good look at the animation style for this series, but it at least giv?es us a good i??dea of what's in store.

//twitt??er.com?/sonic_hedgehog/status/1521526306977902594

Not many more details are out right now. According to a Netflix description of the show, Sonic Prime will see the Blue Blur attempt to save a new multiverse. It's also, apparently, a journey of self-discovery and redemption. Dang, was the original Sonic movie teaser really that bad?

No premiere date's be??en set yet f??or the 24-episode series.

Sonic on top of the world

It's certainly been a good few years for the blue hedgehog, at least in media at large. Both the first and second Sonic the Hedgehog movies had huge debuts, making Sonic the ?presumptive leader in?? video game movie attendance.

The open-world Sonic game, Sonic Frontiers, is expected sometime later this year and sounds pretty cool so far. Sonic the Fighters appeared in the law-and-order spinoff of the Yakuza series with Lost Judgement. Even some classic Sonic the Hedgehog games are getting a new re-release collection with a bunch of neat futures. Though, that particular collection has caused some trouble, both with its pre-order scheme and tangential de-listings.

With Netflix at least, Sonic's fortunes could continue to be golden. It has been home to a bunch of video game adaptations, from Cuphead to The Witcher. The streaming platform has been having some public trouble too, due to waning numbers and layoffs at its Tudum website. Hopefully the Bl?ue Blur isn't caught up in the churn??.

The post Netflix Sonic Prime series gets a quick teaser appeared first on Destructoid.

Emerging from Green Hill's undergrowth

[Update: Following yesterday's rating news, eager tech-heads went digging around the PlayStation Database and uncovered brand new splash art for Sonic Origins, as noted by fansite Sonic Stadium.]

//twitter?.com/sonicstadium/status/15160737182078??93506?s=20&t=UKwpLkNBLZuWq0pypJPrWQ

Since its initial announcement in the spring of 2021, Sega has been completely silent on the topic of one Sonic Origins �a sup??posed retro compilation of The Blue Blur's 16-bit hits. While the publisher has invariably referred to Sonic's future across the past 12? months, this one title seemed all but forgotten.

Well, it seems that the project has not been abandoned, as everyone's favorite spoiler, The Korean Game Rating and Administration Committee, has officially listed the missing-in-action rele?ase. As spotted by Twitter user... erm... "@regularpanties"... Sonic Origins has been afforded a wholesome "A" ??certificate, so I wouldn't expect any all-new bourbon-drinking, eye-gouging content to have been included.

Sonic Origins is expected to be an HD compilation of Sega Mega Drive releases Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (1992), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994), Sonic & Knuckles (1994), and the Mega CD release Sonic CD? (1993). We are still awaiting the news of any additional features and extras. I'm hopin?g for a PAL mode option so I can play it at those shitty UK speeds we had to suffer through.

The rating comes just weeks after rumors that Sonic Origins' development has been downsized to just a scant handful of people, which has led to what has been an extended period of silence from the publisher. In addition to Sonic Origins, Sega is also working on the ambitious Sonic Frontiers, which is tentatively scheduled to launch later in 2022. So it would make sense that Origins may have fallen down the priority list.

//twitter.com/regu??larpanties/sta??tus/1515873094384209925?s=20&t=Uq8ojwaA_LQ6btracPzjRw

The post (Update) The M.I.A Sonic Origins compilati????on has recently been rated in Korea appeared first on Destructoid.

Hey, you wanted a new game, right?

A brand new, officially licensed Sonic the Hedgehog game has been launched within digital game builder Roblox. Sonic Speed Simulator sees the iconic Sega superstar burning rubber through a series of recognizable locales, faithfully recreated within the Roblox universe.

The new game-within-a-game was developed by Gamefam, a studio dedicated to creating interactive Roblox experiences, and has the official backing of no less than Sega itself. Players can race through four famous zones from the Sonic franchise, and unlock skins for additional characters such as Tails and Knuckles. In addition, Sonic-themed avatar items have been made availabl??e, including adoptable Chao Pets??.

While Sonic Speed Simulator is not the first time Roblox has teamed with a popular brand for in-game escapades, this new title does represent the first time that a recognizable, licensed character has officially crossed over into the Roblox universe. Perhaps, much like Fortnite, Roblox Corporation will be looking to add more pop culture figures to its universe in the future, hoping to draw even more players to its staggering, e??ver-expanding userbase, which currently sits at an estimated 170 million global users.

Away from Roblox, Sega is currently preparing Sonic's next mainline release Sonic Frontiers, which is expected to launch later in 2022. Over on the big screen, Paramount Pictures Sonic the Hedgehog 2 recently achieved the biggest ever opening weekend for a video game movie. ??It's certainly been a fine year so far for The Blue Blur, one that is, hopefully, set to run and run... pun fully intended.

The post New Sonic?? the Hedgehog game launches within Roblox appeared first on Destructoid.