New printings of the Dark Souls: Design Works trilogy are now available from Udon

It's been a good long time since we've had a reason to bring up Dark Souls: Design Works �and it's amusing to go back and read Chris' thoughts about the art book from 2014. If you're in the mood to look at some badass dark-fantasy imagery, it's never too late. Udon Entertainment has issued reprints of the Design Works books for the whole trilogy.

The main difference with these reprints is that they sport new cover art. I'm sure some readers will prefer the original tome-like cover design, which is classy?, but I'll admit that I'm a sucker for the crazed Gwyn concept art �that fiery backdrop really pops.

These hardcove??r books focus on concept art, key visuals, and character and monster designs, but there are intervi??ews with From Software developers, including big boss Hidetaka Miyazaki. So if you want to see the Capra Demon up close, this is your chance.

[caption id="attachment_335188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{The new covers use "production artwork."}[/caption]

Where to buy 'em

• Dark Souls: Design Works on Amazon for $33.08
• Dark Souls II: Design Works on Amazon for $44.99
• Dark Souls III: Design Works on Amazon for $44.99

At 128 pages, Dark Souls: Design Works is the lightest of the group; the scattershot Dark Souls II has 240 pages, while Dark Souls III comes out on top with 336 pages.

Remember the first time you gazed out on Irithyll of the Boreal Valley? An unforgettable sight, for su?re. (Followed by an equally unforgettable gotcha moment.)

According to Udon, the three Dark Souls: Design Works books a??re now back in stock "while supplies last." The original printin??gs "may still be available at some retail outlets."

If you've already been there and done that with the Dark Souls trilogy, it's worth reminding everyone that Elden Ring will be getting a pair of official guide books �the Books of Knowledge �from Future Press later this year. I'm imagining some future grandkids unearthing a whole shelf full of From Soft?ware art books in ?a cluttered storage unit.

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Objet D'artsiders

THQ Nordic's recent release Darksiders III may not have quite set cash registers ringing as planned, but at least made a name for itself with its heavy metal, super-edgy atmosphere and art style. It's a style that the Darksiders ser??ies is parti?cularly adept at, all twisted monsters, beefy heroes and spiky shoulder pads.

Publisher Udon has collected the artwork of said game in a new hardback tome. The Art of Darksiders III is 208 full-colour?? pages of concept, interim and final art, featuring our anti-hero Fury, her companions and enemies, as well as the hellish landscap??es that she traverses throughout her violent adventure.

If that wasn't enough for any budding Darksiders aficionado, then Udon is also re-issuing the long out-of-print Art of Darksiders and Art of Darksiders II books, also in sleek hardback form. Each of these volumes featu??res of 200 page of images, covering the journeys of Fury's buddies War and Death, respectively.

The Art of Darksiders reissues on May 7, to be followed by The Art of Darksiders II on June 4 and, finally, The Art of Darksiders III on July 9. Each volume will retail for around $50?? USD.

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If Juri doesn't win, we riot

Publisher Udon Comics have announced that they will be releasing a Summer Sports issue of the Street Fighter comic, featuring the ama?zing ladies of the Capcom fighting universe.

The 32-page issue will be available with a selection of cover variants. Three of these, by artist Rob Porter, see Cammy preparing for some beach volleyball, Chun-Li ready to hit the pitch for a spot of soccer and newcomer Menat taking to the basketball court. Even better is the retro-inspired cover by Jeffrey Cruz, featuring Chun-Li and Juri in a sprint, taken from this classic DC comic.

Nothing compares to Porter's Nicki Minaj homage, ho??wever, which has t??he Strongest Woman in the World recreating the hip-hop superstar's pose from her recent hit single. Also of note is how, just like DLC costumes, Chun gets more variants than any other character!

The Street Fighter Summer Sports Special goes on sale digitally and in stores in August.

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...with sexy results

Hot on the heels of yesterday's announcement leak that fantasy action-RPG Dragon's Crown is ??likely headed to PS4, comes news that UDON Entertainment are publishing a manga based on the game's adventures.

Your favourite oddly-shaped heroes will be immortalised in print form, as the Dragon's Crown manga tells the story of their quest for honour, wealth, justice and more wealth, through the dungeons and ca??tacombs of Hydeland.

The manga series, which is adapted and drawn by artist Yuztan (Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid), promises to capture the "hard hitting action, sexiness and sil??liness" of George Kamitani's original g??ame.

Dragon's Crown: Volume 1 will be available in October, with a concluding volume to follow in 2018.

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I buy it for the lore

It's that time of year again. Udon Entertainment have released the 2017 edition of their annual Street Fighter & Friends Swimsuit Edition, featuring Capco??m's famous fighters in their finest beach garbs.

Like last year, multiple artists collaborated to depict all your favorite guys 'n' gals glamming it up in next to nothing. Karin is there in her ?classy beach ensemble, whilst Mike Haggar is rockin' his ultimate DILF Trunks n' Meat combo.

Juri's being a minx, Laura's being outrageous, even the Rival Schools gang show up for what must be the most emo game of Marco Polo ever (How the fuck do you even play that?) This is all in keepi??ng with this year's theme "Relaxing beach vacation" as op??posed to previous years, which have seen the characters relaxing on the beach whilst on vacation.

The Swimsuit Edition and its multiple covers (including a cool Morrigan Vampirella homagé;) is available now in comic book sto??res, and online via Comixolgy, priced around $5.

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Not quite Ret-2-Go just yet

The vibrant and colourful world of Shantae, her friends, enemies and frenemies, is to be immortalised in an art book??, announced on twitter by game creator Matt Bozon.

Little is known about the upcoming release, other than it will feature art from across the series, it is coming sometime next year, and it is being published by the reputable Udon, who are renown for their great art books past. This book is not the ??same as the compendium being published fo??r game backers.

I don't smile much, rarely in fact, but I always smile whilst playing the Shantae games. The world, characters, colours, even villains bring joy and pleasure to my eyes. The games genuinely make me grin like a dang fool. I'm very much ??looking forward ?to this release, and I will try to keep you guys updated as further details unfold.

Shantae Series artbook just announced! From our friends at @UdonEnt at #sdcc !! pic.twitter.com/tRvRL1zusu

— Matt Bozon (@MrBozon) July 20, 2017

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The gorgeous ladies of Capcom Wrestling take the spotlight

Professional Wrestling has seen many ups and downs in the past 60 years, but with not one but two recipients of the Stone Cold Stunner headed to the White House in 2017, the sport's cultural relevance is arguably greater than ever. At this point, I would be thoroughly uns??urprised if the Republican National Convention 2020 merges with Wrestlemania to become one mega pay-per-view event??, featuring Trump as the new Billion Dollar man and Ben Carson as his Virgil.

What's more surprising is the drought of original Wrestling games on the market today. While the upcoming Wrestle Wrun looks fantastic, it's not enough to fill the void left by such classics as Nintendo's Pro Wrestling, Sega's Wrestle War, and Capcom's Saturday Night Slam Masters. It's that last title that I imagine that most of you are more familiar with, as it features popular irony-comedy wrestling mayor Mike Haggar. He's one of a few fictional wrestlers that remain prominent in Capcom's modern fighting game library, with R. Mika being the one to make the most hea??dlines in recent years.

It all makes me wonder why Capcom won't greenlight a new Women's Wrestling game starring Mika and her many allies and opponents from Iwashi Ga Hama Japan Women??'s pro-wrestling divisi?on. Maybe they're waiting to see how well people react to the concept in comic form? Like with their upcoming Darkstalkers Vs. Street Fighter comic, Udon is testing the waters for the concept an idea that is sure to put?? a smile on fan's faces.

So be sure to make it to your local comic shop early if you want to snag this Wrestling Special. Udon's Free Comic Book Day 2016 Street Fighter V Special disappeared off store shelves in minutes, and I'm s??ure next year's Special will be no diffe??rent.

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Udon brings Persona 3 manga out September 2016

Maker of fine books Udon is following up last year's Persona 4 manga, published in English last September, with an English publication of the Persona 3 manga starting this September. Symmetry! And good-ish timing with Persona 5's September release. I've written the words "September" and "Persona" w??ay too much already.

"We are thrilled to announce that not only are we launching Persona 3 – also with art by Shuji Sogabe – in English later this ?year," Udon announce??d. "You'll be able to get your hands on the first volume in September, just a few short months away."

Volume 1 will run you $14 and you can, again, find it in your neighborhood comic shop or on the neighborhood-comic-shop-killer A?mazon

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Coming this September

Aside from two different anime series, a great Vita port, and whatever else, Persona 4 ??also go?t a manga that was previously only available in Japan (in Japanese, except through fan translation).

Maker of fine books Udon is publishing the Persona 4 manga in English ??starting this September, "with future volumes releasing bi-monthly through the end of 2015 and into 2016." You can find it in your neighborhood comic shop or on the neighborhood comic shop killing Amazon.

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Your sexy Zangief fan art could be in a book!

Udon Entertainment has been accepting submissions for its latest art book, Capcom Fighting Tribute. Professionals and fan artists alike are being asked to create tributes to Capcom's many fighting game franchises. Udon has done similar projects in the past, including the Street Fighter Tribute and Darkstalkers Tribute, and it looks like this compilation will include artwork for both of those franchises and more. I'd like to see some Power Stone and Rival Schools artwork myself.

I'm a big fan of Udon's books. The company always puts out thick, quality books with tons of beautiful art. I still have the Okami art book, and it's one of the coolest books I ?own. I'd definitely recommend checking this one out if you're a fan ??of Capcom's fighting games.

The deadline was recently extended, meaning artists will have until February 9 to submit their work, so you've got ??more than a week left to prepare something if you'd like to have a chance at seeing it published. I know we have some really great artists here on Destructoid, and I bet some of you could make it in the book.

Udon has also been tweeting artwork from t?he two previous tributes to inspire artists, some of which is featured in the gallery below. Artists include Bryan Lee O'Malley, Cameron Stewart, J. Scott Campbell, Joe Vriens, Corey Lewis, Wendy Chew, Mike Krahulik, and more. Really cool stuff!

You can find more information and rules about submissions over at Udon's blog.

The post You could have your artwork featured in Udon’s Capcom Fighting Tribute appeared first on Destructoid.

Who wants an electric punch? Please gather around Dean

Like the WWE, Capcom has been around long enough to have history that spans several distinct eras. They may be in the "all our old fans hate us but we still put out some good games sometimes" era now, but in the '90s, they were deep into the "Street Fighter II made us more money than God so let's keep making games that focus on fun and bold art and design" era. It was an era that spurred a multitude of art books, and with them, the futures of many of today's most popular artists. Top names like Joe Madureira, Corey Lewis, Mariel Cartwright, and many more cite Capcom's '90s era artists like Akiman, Bengus, and Kinu Nis?himura as some of their biggest influences. 

Those days may be long gone, but Udon has done their best to keep the home fires burning with their own Capcom-powered artwork. Their latest collection gathers from their 10+ years of collaborating with Capcom on games and comics into one massive tome. Even better, the Sandiago Comic Con special edition features a wrap around cover by Joe Ng that pays tribute to Kinu Nishimura's classic Capcom Design Works cover from days of old. It features such hot commodities as Dean and Lucia from Final Fight 3, the squid-guy from Red Earth/Warzard, and that time Akuma was a robot in the Japan-only Saturn port of Cyberbots: Full Metal Madness.

It's like money in the bank.

UDON’s Art Of Capcom Complete Edition & Comic-Con Exclusive???? Edition [Udon]

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The 24-hour livestream will be held on October 26

My homeboy David Oxford, writer at The Mega Man Network and and fellow editor on NF Magazine, has planned a special charity event alongside Ian Flynn, lead writer on Archie's Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog comic series. For 24 hours beginning Saturday, October 26, the duo will take to TwitchTV and play Sonic Lost World on Wii U through its entirety. They'll shoot the sh*t, take questions about the Archie comics or anything else, and accept donations for the SickKids Foundation.

Current event sponsors include NF Magazine and UDON Entertainment, who may be offering some tasty raffle prizes. Maybe you'll win a copy of The History of Sonic The Hedgehog, whic?h will receive a second? hardcover printing soon as well as a softcover one.

David and Ian are targeting a modest $1000-to-$1500 goal, and you can even pre-donate right now. If you want to help our boys acquire the needed capture equipment for the livestream, ??you can do that as well. Just hit up the link below for all the scrumptious details.

Announcing the Sonic Lost World "First Play" Marathon for Charit??y, Featuring ??Sonic Writer Ian Flynn [PoisonMushroom.Org]

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MM25 will be MINE, I say! MINE!

San Diego Comic-Con came and went, and despite my best efforts to use the Dtoid team to my own ends, I was unable to score the coveted hardcover edition of MM25. Thanks a lot, DALE!

But no worries! UDON promised that all its event-exclusive books would be available for purchase on its online store. True to its word, you will be able to pre-order any of the six volumes beginning tomorrow, August 1, at 12:00 PM EST.

Once again, the items up for grabs are The Art of Brutal Legend ($79.99), MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works ($99.99), Street Fighter Origins: Akuma ($39.99), Street Fighter Classic Volume 1 ($59.99), Super Street Fighter Volume 1: New Generations ($39.99), and World of Warcraft Tribute ($99.99). These are? all limited edition hardcover print??ings; cheaper standard versions will be available later this year if they aren't already.

Get your clicking fingers ready!

UDON 2013 Convention Exclusives Available For Pr?e-Order Online August 1st at Noon [UDON Entertainment via The Mega Man Network]

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Mega Man 25th anniversary and more

The blue beauty pictured above? That's the Comic-Con exclusive blue laser foil hardcover edition of MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works. This thing is hea??vy, packed with over 400 pages of content -- everything from official sketches to tribute art can be found between its hardcovers. These things were flying off the shelves here at SDCC's preview night, even a??t its $100 price.

UDON Entertainment (booth #4529) has a ton of good stuff for Comic-Con lined up; Street Fighter is here in a big way. We checked out the collection of shiny new graphic novels tonight. The Street Fighter Origins: Akuma one is a Comic-Con exclusive, too. It's priced at $40. The Super Street Fighter Vol. 1 and Street Fighter Classic Vol. 1 are also show exclusives.

Finally, UDON has a $100 World of Warcraft Tribute hardcover on sale here. The Art of Brutal Legend is $80 and comes in an awesome slipcase.

If you're M??r. Moneybags, UDON tells us that you can pick up ALL of these show exclusives at once and they'll knock $100 off the total price. 

The post UDON brings a Mega load of new books to SDCC appeared first on Destructoid.

Check out that hundred-dollar sheen

San Diego Comic-Con kicks off next week, and UDON will be there with a mountain of convention-exclusive tomes. Being the guy I am, I only have eyes for MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works, the 432-page follow-up to the art books previously released to celebrate the Blue Bomber's 20th birthday. While the regular riffraff can purchase a limp paperback version of MM25 come September, con attendees can snag this laser foil beauty.

I've added some glamor shots to the gallery -- I'm loving the schematic that appears on beneath the dust jacket. Also included are a few sample pages, most which we've already shared on Destructoid before. But only now am I taking a close look at these pages and noticing the original designs for the Mega Man 9 Robot Masters. Ocean Man inste??ad of Splash Woman? Plasma Man instead of Plug Man? Honey Woman instead of Hornet Man? It's Bizarr?o World, I tell ya!

The cost of such hardcover luxury is an insane $100, and any leftover copies will become available on UDON's online store. I'm afr??aid I'll have to cut out breakfast items from my shopping list for a couple of weeks.

Happy Birthday Mega Man! Vide?o Game Icon turns 25 in Comic-?Con Exclusive Art Book! [UDON Entertainment]

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Exclusive Brutal Legend and World of Warcraft volumes will be available as well

As it does every year, comic and videogame art book ??publisher UDON Entertainment will be attending San Diego Comic-Con with a bunch of event-exclusive goodies in tow. Technically, all these books will be available elsewhere in standard editions, but if you want the privilege of spending out the nose for fancy covers, you'll have to brave the sweaty SDCC crowds.

UDON's Street Fighter comic series is getting three hardcover compilations with special dust jackets, featuring a character face-off on one side and a "Street Fighter lady on the beach" spread on the reverse. Street Fighter Classic Vol. 1 and Street Fighter Origins: Akuma are $40 each, while Super Street Fighter Vol. 1: New Generationis $60.

MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works is supposed to arrive in September, but show attendees can snag a blue laser foil hardcover edition for an insane $100 (WHAAAAAAT!?). Also priced at $100 is a hardcover World of Warcraft Tribute, which collects fan art submissions from around the world. Finally, there's The Art of Brütal Legend, availa??ble fo??r $80 in a silver metallic slip case.

If these books sell out at the show, that's it. But if there are leftovers, UDON editor Matt Moylan promises the?y will appear on UDON's web store.

UDON ENT??ERTAINMENT ANNOUN??CES 6 COMIC-CON EXCLUSIVES! [UDON Entertainment via The Mega Man Network]

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Here's a six page preview

When you're not busy dying, have a look around. Dark Souls is as beautiful as it is difficult, so it's nice to see that UDON will be bringing art book Dark Souls: Design Works to us this October. This is a full-color hard??cover release, packed with visuals for characters, weapons, monsters, as well as rough sketches. There's also an interview with game director Hidetaka Miyazaki.

Dark Souls: Design Works will be priced at $39.99. You can preorder this book now at Amazon.com.

Be sure to ?check out the p?review pages in our gallery.

The post UDON brings Dark Souls: Design Works this Fall appeared first on Destructoid.

Over 100 pages of unprinted work

Close enough to taste it, the wait is almost over for the UDON release of the MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works art book. To tide you over, here's some sample pages of the upcoming book by way of Capcom-Unity. There are over 100 pages of previously unseen work, bringing the total page count to over 430 pages. Among the new pages, you can find art assets from Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10.

The release date is still a tentative August/September 2013, but the most faithful among you can head over to the Amazon and Barnes & Noble pages to pre-order.

The post Sample pages from the Mega Man 25 Complete W??orks art book appeared first on Destructoid.

Mentally unstable love interest? Check!

The adventures of Bravoman, Super-Unequaled Hero of Excellence, continues with the second episode of his new web cartoon. As before, voice actor legend Rob Paulsen is the number one reas??o??n to tune in, lending his talents to our leading man.

Episode 2 welcomes a new character, Waya Hime, the psycho ninja chick who wants to both date and murder Bravoman. Waya Hime is voice by Romi Dames, who according to Wikipedia voices one of the main characters on the Italian cartoon Winx Club. I don't watch Winx Club nor d??o I know anyone who does, so I'll look further down her filmography...

Oh! She was on Bill Nye, the Science Guy! Yeah, let's run with that! Romi Dames, supporting starlet of Bill Nye, the Science Guy!

Bravoman Episode 2: Perky Pri?ncess of Pointy Peril [YouTube]

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First episode is go

The cartoon adaptation of ShiftyLook's Bravoman: Super-Unequaled Hero of Excellence went live on May 20, exactly 25 years to the day since the launch of the obscure TurboGrafx-16 game Bravoman upon which it was based. Geeze, didn't you know!? He's only like the 2038th biggest videogame icon on the planet! And?? I bet you f?orgot a birthday present too!

As mentioned during the reveal back in March, Rob Paulsen lends his voice to the titular hero (as well as sidekick Alpha Man). You of course know him better as Yakko and Pinky in Animaniacs, Raphael in the original TMNT, Donatello in the new TMNT, and about a bazillion other roles. Playing opposite him as Doctor Bomb is Dee Bradley Baker, best known as every non-speaking animal in every cartoon pretty much ever.

It's always a treat to hear Paulsen and Baker, although their performances here sound a teensy bit phoned in. Not entirely their fault -- the jokes are just flat, treading on a few too ma?ny worn cliches. This is but the first episode, so I hope the writing in the later ones improves. It would be a shame to waste such legendary vocal talents.

You'll be able to catch new Bravoman episodes every week.

Bravoman Episode 1: The Beginnin??g and End ??of Bravoman [YouTube]

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It's finally coming in August

If you're a Mega Man fan, you're probably aware of the rare Mega Man and Mega Man X Complete Works books that can fetch a price anywhere from $100-$200 each. Thankfully, after years of demands for reprints, UDON is on the case, as they're offering up the MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works outside of Japan, which you can pre-order at Barnes and Noble now for $43.

As is usually the case with book releases, it should be hitting Amazon and other outlets soon, but no matter where you order it from you'll have to wait until the August 28th release date. As a side note, this edition not only contains the first two compendiums, but it also has new content like Mega Man 9 and 10 as well, so it??'s pretty?? much a must-have for collectors.

MM25 [Rockman Corner]

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UDON plans premiere at Comic-Con

I bought a coffee table earlier this year. I big, shiny, attractive one. Never had one before, but I knew I needed one for all of these beautiful videogame art books I've been collecting. I've got lots of Japanese imports, a few rare finds (like my beloved Culdcept card art book), and plenty from UDON Entertainment. They have a new one I'd be happy to add to my table, and we have a sam?ple of it for you today.

Their latest, Persona 4 Arena: Official Design? Works, will debut at San-Diego Comic-Con this July, and will make a?? follow-up appearance at PAX Prime. As you can see from the seven page preview in our gallery (all images pending licensor approval), this book is going to be lovely. Illustrations, designs, interviews, and background info on all of the P4A cast make this a must-have for that pretty table of mine. 

UDON says that this is one of the most requested art books in?? their company history. 

The post Take a peek a?t Perso?na 4 Arena: Official Design Works appeared first on Destructoid.

Best videogame art book ever!

Hyrule Historia is pretty awesome. The History of Sonic The Hedgehog is not bad either. But for me, the best game series bible is Mega Man Official Complete Works. Released to celebrate the franchise's 20th anniversary, it contained production art and behind-the-scenes nuggets for every mainline entry and most spin-offs in the Classic and X sub-series. The Japanese original was a single volume, but UDON chose to split it in two for the Western release. Unfortunately, both are now out of print and co?mmand exorbitant s?econdhand prices.

UDON has just announced at PAX a bunch of new Capcom art collections for the second half of 2013. There are books for Asura's Wrath, Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter, and Street Fighter, but my eyeballs are squarely directly at the fifth item: MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works. Released in Japan late last year, this updated edition includes Mega Man 9 and 10 coverage plus new art and interviews. It? also sounds like there will be additional materi?al not found in the Japanese release, such as covers from the Archie comic series.

Of the five books, MM25 is first on the production schedule. It'll be released as a single volume this time, so it ought to cost less than what the original two books cost together. If you missed out on the first run, I urge you to get your wallets ready when MM25 arrives later this summer... hopefully. We all know how UDON i??s with keeping to a release schedule.

UDON ANNOUNCES 5 NEW CAPCOM ART BOOKS [UDON Entertainment via The Mega Man Network]

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And it stars Rob Paulsen of Animaniacs and TMNT fame!

I know you're looking at that headline and saying to yourself, "What the hell is Bravoman?" It's a fairly unknown Namco arcade game from the 80s that was later ported to the TurboGrafx-16 -- and incidentally is also available on the Wii Virtual Console. The titular ??star is a send-up of Japanese superheroes who can extend his bionic limbs like Str?etch Armstrong. Got that? Cool.

So why is it getting a cartoon? It's all thanks to Namco Bandai's ShiftyLook initiative, which breathes life back into forgotten Namco properties through the power of webcomics. Bravoman: Super-Unequaled Hero of Excellence is among the more popular of those comics, thus it was selected for an animated treatment. Kotaku even has an exclusive 30-second preview clip, should you want to give it a quick watch.

What truly catches my attention, however, is the voice cast. Playing Bravoman is none other than Rob Paulsen, best known as the legendary talent behind Raphael and Donatello in the 1987 and 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series respectively, as well as Yakko Warner in Animaniacs. Also lending his pipes is the fairly illustrious Dee Bradley Baker, who I learned just this second was the voice of Olmec in Legends of the Hidden Temple. Holy fudge!

If Bravoman works out well, I hope Namco Bandai decides to adapt the Klonoa comic next.

A Brand-New Cartoon Sho??ws Video Game He??roes Hate Annoying Help Messages, Too [Kotaku via GoNintendo]

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Blue streak... speeds by...

Despite the Sonic series' many missteps over the past decade, I remain a huge fan. I remember the first time I played Sonic The Hedgehog at my cousins' house into the wee hours of the night. I remember long school field trips and borrowing my friend's Game Gear to pl??ay?? the Blue Blur's latest handheld quest. I even remember designing zones of my own design on large sketch pads!

The History of Sonic The Hedgehog is a celebration of the SEGA mascot's two decades of speed-driven platforming. First released in 2012 by French videogame book publisher Pix'n Love, it was translated by Canadian comic and art studio UDON for English market distribution. For a long-time fan such as mysel?f?, securing a copy was a necessity.

Quite a few Sonic faithfuls were also eager to pick up the 300-page volume, as the first printing had one of the fastest sellouts in UDON history. And why shouldn't they? Featuring a chronicle of Sonic's *ahem* genesis, a list of all the games in the massive franchise, and bios for Sonic's motley crew of allies and enemies, The History of Sonic pac??ks ??more punch than one of SEGA's old anti-Nintendo slam ads.

The History of Sonic The Hedgehog
Editor: Pix'n Love Publishing
Publisher: UDON Entertainment
Released: January 1, 2013
MSRP: $49.99

Sonic The Hedgehog. The "The" is supposed to be capitalized. According to former SEGA of America head of marketing Al Nilsen, Sonic "was not just a hedgehog, but THE hedgehog" and that the three-letter article was essentially the speedster's middle name.

Sonic's rise to fame is filled with many such wonderful bits of trivia, compiled from various print sources, interviews, websites, and documentaries over the past 20 years. A lot of the info is readily available knowledge, but you are st??ill likely to trip over an obs?cure factoid now and then.

The book itself is your archetypal coffee-table tome -- a thick hardcover binding that measures an almost square 9.25" X 8.5". Greeting you on the front is a classic-era Sonic, encircled by an iconic gold ring, while the reverse side plays host to Sonic's modern incarnation. Not that I really care one way or another who gets what spot on the cover, but I'm? sure many of you will pleased that ol' daddy long legs was shunted to the rear.

Flipping through the pages, however, you'll notice that the text and images have been laid out in a way that tr?eats each two-page spread as a single "widescreen" page. This gives the book a much more expansive feel, and considering that Sonic's claim to fame is racing across wide open spaces, the design is quite appropriate.

Oh, and there's a 16-bit sprite flip animation in the bottom-right corner. No big??gie, but those always add an amusing touch.

As mentioned already, The History of Sonic is split into three major parts: a written account of the Blue Blur's career, a listing of nearly every Sonic series game, and character bios and artwork. Inserted at the very end is a tiny section devoted to Sonic's cameo appearances in SEGA-developed software -- oddly enough, Sonic's very first appearance in a videogame was not in the original Sonic The Hedgehog but rather in the arcade racer Rad Mobile as a rear-view mirror tchotchke!

Sonic's history is tied directly to that of his parent company, thus the book first explores the founding and early years of Service Games, known today as SEGA. We are also reacquainted with Sonic's predecessor, Alex Kidd, who failed to be the Mario-killer SEGA hoped for.

Sonic is actually quite the anomaly when you think about it. Other attempts to best a popular videogame franchise -- so-called Zelda-killers, Halo-killers, and the like -- tend not to live up to the hype??. In Sonic's case, he was carefully and meticulously constructed to be the "anti-Mario" in ev?ery way, but the planets aligned and he almost single-handedly helped SEGA pull a large chunk of market share away from Nintendo.

Another thing that fascinates me about Sonic's conception is how, much like in other games from the early '90s and prior, many ?key design decisions were made based on the capabilities of the hardware. Sonic rolls into a ball so that jumping and attacking could be accomplished by a single button. Sonic is dark blue because his former sky blue color scheme caused him to be camouflaged when standing in front of similarly colored backgrounds. And Sonic has very prominent spikes because they offered the illusion of speed.

The SEGA hardware years give way to the company's current role as a third-party developer, and Sonic's continued developments are detailed up through his team-up with Mario in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, bringing this tale around full circle. Capping off the history is a trio of interviews with Yuji Naka, programmer on the first Sonic The Hedgehog and the most famous Sonic Team member of all; Naoto Oshima, graphic designer who actually gave birth to Sonic; and Takashi Iizuka, series artistic director since Sonic Adventure.

The history does an excellent job of walking us through Sonic's game career, but I'm nonetheless disappointed that there was next to no discussion of his ventures in other media. A major reason for Sonic's popularity in the '90s was his omnipresence -- from Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to cans of spaghetti -- so it seems odd that his four cartoon shows, one Japanese direct-to-video animation, and the Archie and Fleetway Sonic comics would onl??y be mentioned in passing. Not going behind the scenes on those projects f?eels like a missed opportunity.

The games list section, which covers all the franchise installments from the original Sonic The Hedgehog in 1991 through Sonic Generations in 2011, is broken down further into 2D era, 3D era, handheld excursions, and spin-offs. Major titles are naturally given more real estate than, say, the Sonic Café series of cell phone time-wasters, but every entry is accompanied by screens and box art, release information, b?rief synopses of the games and their market impact, and extra trivia you can use to impress your friends.

For example, Sonic can throw Hadoukens in Sonic Chaos on Game Gear. I did not know that!

Though even the strangest of Sonic's outings are covered, there is a small handful of curious omissions. I'm specifically talking about the compilations like Sonic Jam on Saturn -- the game.com version gets an entry, however. In Sonic Jam's case, its "Sonic World" environment served as the prototype for Sonic Adventure, so you can't say it didn??'t play a major role in the grand scheme.

I also would have loved concept art for cut levels and other cutting-room-floor materials, such as the four axed zones in Sonic The Hedgehog 2. And if you were hoping for a straight answer on the whole Michael Jackson-Sonic 3 music connection, keep looking elsewhere.

The character section is the most straightforward of them all, providing short biographies for most of the key players as well as their various art designs. Only characters that have had prominent roles in the post-Sonic Adventure era are present, so be sure to pour a 40 for forgotten third-str??ingers like Mighty the Armadillo, Ray the Squirrel, Nack the Weasel, Bean the Dynamite, and Bark the Polar Bear.

A scant six pages are dedicated to artwork of Badniks and bosses, which makes this the laziest portion of the whole book. Only 11 games are represented, and only two or three enemy designs are presented for each, which makes the entire section about as comprehensive as any one of the friggin' Genesis game manuals!

But The History of Sonic is so rich in lore and insight that it more than makes up for my gripes??. I don't even mind the numerous typographical errors or humorously paradoxical character stats -- Knuckles is noted as the same height as Sonic (3 feet, 4 inches), yet on the very next page, there's a chart that clearly states Knuckles is taller.

There is a delightfully optimistic tone throughout the book, even while discussing the less-than-stellar chapters in the Sonic saga -- I'm looking at you, Sonic 2006! I find that to be quite reflective of the Sonic fa??nbase, but in a good way. We know the series isn't the most consistent in quality, but ol' Mr. Needlemouse wa??s once on top of the world, so there's no reason why he can't make a comeback as long as the passion remains.

The History of Sonic The Hedgehog is must-read for the diehards and lapsed fans. We may be u??????????????????????????nsure? of where Sonic is heading, but I think we can all admire his storied journey.

The post Review: The History of Sonic The Hedgehog appeared first on Destructoid.

Submissions accepted through January 15

During New York Comic Con, UDON announced World of Warcraft Tribute, an art book that will compile selected pieces from professionals and fans across the globe. The last "Tribute" book that the publisher put out was the amazing Mega Man Tribute; if the quality of submissions in that to??me are any indication, we're bound to see some rea??lly amazing shizz once again.

Submissions just opened up on November 1 over on the book's website, and they will remain open through January 15, 2013. If you've got the chops and love the MMO phenom, consider throwing your hat in the ring. Make sure to bone up on the rules, which limits entrants to ages 18+ and disallows fan characters or cameos from other B?lizzard series, among other restrictions.

The final book will premier as a limited-edition hardcover for San Diego Comic-Con 2013, though a softcover is almost guar??anteed some time afterwards.

The post Get your art into UDON’s World of Warcraft Tribute book appeared first on Destructoid.

If you love the Valkyria Chronicles franchise as much as I do, this artbook should go on your Christmas wish list. UDON Entertainment has announced Valkyria Chronicles 3: Complete Artworks for a December release.

There's 256 color pages of art by illustrator Raita Honjou to flip through in this lovely book, but you'll want to get down on the text as well. Fully localized in English, this book lays out t??he storyline of the 3rd game, which was never released outsi?de of Japan. Hey, we'll take what we can get, right?

In ??our gallery we have some sample pages that feature a peek at some of the character designs and profiles you can expect to s?ee in the full book. 

Valkyria Chronicles 3: Complete Artworks will go on sale in December for $44.99, though you can pre-order it for a bit less at Amazon now.

The post UDON announces Valkyria Chronicles 3: Complete A??rtworks appeared first on Destructoid.

DISGAEArt!!! Disgaea Official Illustration Collection! debuted tonight at San Diego Comic-Con 2012's Preview Night at their booth on the already crazy show floor. This lovely art book sports 600 illustrations covering everything from the box art to character designs from the craziest SRPG series ever, Disgaea, coming primarily from character designer Takehito Harada. Of course, you'll find content from the first four games, but the book goes beyond that, revealing "rare materials" from the Disgaea world; th??e index in the back actu??????????????????????????ally lists out where every illustration came from.

DISGAEArt!!! is available on the show floor now for $39.99. We have?? some sample pages from the book in our gallery below.

Also available at UDON's booth: Shining Force Feather Design Works (about $40) and Marvel vs. Capcom Official Complete Works (about $100).  

The post SDCC: Udon debuts DISGAEArt!!! book at Pr??eview Night appeared first on Destructoid.

The Blue Blur has had his ups and downs, but on the whole, he's a remarkable icon with a rich history extending across two decades. Earlier this year, Sega and French videogame book publisher Pix'n Love -- responsible for several high-quality Nintendo history books --? teamed up to collect Sonic's journey in??to one massive tome. This September, UDON will be bringing the book to American shores.

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog is a 300-page hardcover beast that tracks Sonic's inception through the recent Sonic Generations. It covers every single game he's ever appeared in, including crossovers and cameos. There's also plenty of official artwork to gawk in addition to interesting nuggets of information, like how the ribbon logo from the original Sonic's title screen was conceived.

The History of Sonic the Hedgehog will retail for $49.99, but as is usual with UDON releases, you're smarter bet is to hop onto Amazon, where the book is currently a much ?more reasonable $31.81.

The History of Sonic ?the Hedgehog – Coming September 2012 [UDON Entertainment]

The post History of Sonic book speeds by in September appeared first on Destructoid.