Multiple Sonic The Hedgehog Games In Development For Switch
Sega aired a special Sonic the Hedgehog video stream today, called Sonic Central. The blue blur is celebrating his 30th anniversary this year and as such there are more games on the way to celebrate!
First up we have Sonic Colors: Ultimate, a remaster of the Wii game from eleven years ago. It was one of the best Sonic games in the past 20 years, so this is a good choice to bring back out to a wide audience. It will arrive on the Switch on September 7, 2021 and retail for $39.99. It’s one of the few Sonic games I spent a decent amount of time playing in recent history, and that’s because it’s quite fun! There’s even a drill mechanic that’s reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy!
Coming sometime later next year will be Sonic Origins. This compilation is going back to the 16-bit days and includes the Genesis classics: Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, and even Sonic & Knuckles. The cherry on top is Sonic CD, which was only available via the special Sega CD add-on back in the day. Sega promises to include added content and features, and indeed in the video we can see that some of the games have been reworked into a widescreen presentation. Sega later clarified that even Sonic 3 will be widescreen when Origins finally arrives.
Sega also teased the next big thing in the Sonic gaming universe, but showed little more than a strange logo. Similar to last night’s Dragon Quest XII reveal, we’re going to have to wait a lot longer to see actual gameplay. As of now the new title is scheduled to arrive in 2022 and will of course be coming to the Switch family of systems.
OFFICIAL PR:
Today, in honor of Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary, SEGA hosted the first-ever “Sonic Central” livestream event, broadcasted on the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube and Twitch channels. During the celebratory event, SEGA revealed a plethora of upcoming entertainment experiences starring the Blue Blur himself. The stream kicked off with the creators of the upcoming Netflix animated series Sonic Prime. While no celebration would be complete without a little music, SEGA unveiled that they will be celebrating Sonic’s 30th anniversary with a live orchestra event on June 23rd featuring music from Sonic games over the last 30 years with a special preview coming during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live! on June 10, with special guest performances by Crush 40 and Tomoya Ohtani.
Following the opening segment, SEGA jumped into the medium where it all began, with a slew of supersonic gaming-related announcements bringing the Blue Blur to the following console, PC, and mobile experiences this year:
Sonic Colors: Ultimate & Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps: SEGA revealed Sonic Colors: Ultimate, an adrenaline-pumping remaster of the beloved 2010 platformer, Sonic Colors, alongside a colorful debut trailer here. Sonic Colors: Ultimate is set to release both digitally and physically on PlayStation®4, Microsoft Xbox® One and Nintendo Switch™, with a digital-only release on PC via the Epic Game Store on September 7, 2021. Fans can pre-order Sonic Colors: Ultimate today here to receive the exclusive “Baby Sonic” keychain and other bonus items. In addition, SEGA unveiled a teaser here to the two-part animation series, Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps, the first short-form animation featuring full dialogue and a voice cast including the return of legendary Sonic voice actor, Roger Craig Smith.
Sonic Origins: SEGA is working on a new compiled series that includes Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles as well as Sonic CD. Fans who are looking for a nostalgic gameplay experience can check out these classic hits for some non-stop Sonic action and fresh content, with more information coming soon.
New Sonic Team Game: Get ready to take on a new journey in the next flagship Sonic title from Sonic Team, the team that brought you Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces. Check out the trailer here.
Tokyo 2020: Sonic is headed to the Olympic Games! Dress up your Avatar as Sonic and compete in 18 fun-filled Olympic events in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game™, coming to all platforms on June 22nd and available for pre-order today.
Platform Expansions: This year Sonic is more available than ever with Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing now available on Amazon Luna. In addition, on June 1st – Sonic Forces, Team Sonic Racing and Sonic Mania Are coming to PlayStation Now! And later in the month on June 24th Sonic Mania will be available on the Epic Game Store.
Mobile Game Special Events: Sonic Forces: Speed Battle mobile will get a very special character, allowing players to harness the power of Chaos Emeralds and blast into battle as Super Sonic, with private races coming later this year as part of a limited-time event. In Sonic Dash, players can sail into a special pirate-themed party and unlock Pirate Sonic and Captain Shadow, collecting other prizes along the way. Sonic Racing is bringing in the classic feel, with classic characters, cars and three new tracks in a classic zone, along with some old school remixes. Finally, this October, prepare for a fright as the Warehog bounds into Sonic Forces and Sonic Dash. Look out for his arrival around Halloween and Unleash your power! Assets are available here.
Additionally, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary, Sonic will be making a few special cameo in SEGA’s Two Point Hospital:
Two Point Hospital: Build up a hospital from nothing to a masterpiece, this time complete with exclusive Sonic in-game items, character customization options and hospital decor. Swap staff outfits to celebrate Sonic’s 30th, with items available in-game for free on July 22.
But there are more ways to celebrate! SEGA revealed a lineup of commemorative merchandise to celebrate the 30th anniversary that Sonic fans can cherish for years to come.
Licensed Products: SEGA will be collaborating with a robust list partners throughout the year to create brand new Sonic products, including exciting items like a Giant Eggman Robot playset from JAKKS Pacific Inc., a full-color hardcover Sonic encyclopedia from Dark Horse and more. As part of Sonic’s 30th celebration, IDW will release a special super-sized 80-page comic book featuring three tales of colorful heroes and dastardly villains. Commemorative 30th Anniversary gold and silver coins will also be available this year from APMEX. Assets are available here.
To stay current on Sonic the Hedgehog news, follow Sonic on Twitter and Instagram, like him on Facebook, and subscribe to the Twitch channel and the YouTube channel. For more information, please visit www.sonicthehedgehog.com.
SEGA Unveils Sonic Colors: Ultimate
Sonic Colors Returns This Fall
Delivering A Vibrant New High-Speed Gaming Experience For Sonic Fans Of All Generations
Burbank, Calif. — May 27, 2021 — Sonic fans, get ready to Color the Universe! Today, as part of Sonic Central, SEGA® unveiled Sonic Colors: Ultimate™, an adrenaline-pumping upgrade on the iconic 2010 platformer, Sonic Colors. Developed by the award-winning studio, Blind Squirrel Entertainment, Sonic Colors: Ultimate brings a fresh hue to the celebrated game with stunning visuals, additional features, a new mode, and improved gameplay enhancements, providing players the ultimate Sonic experience. Sonic Colors: Ultimate is set to release both digitally and physically on September 7, 2021 starting at $39.99 on PlayStation®4, Xbox One Consoles and Nintendo Switch™, with a digital-only release on PC via the Epic Games Store. For a limited time, Sonic fans can pre-order the Sonic Colors: Ultimate physical edition and get access to an exclusive baby Sonic keychain.
Standard Retail Physical Pre-Order – $39.99
- Exclusive Baby Sonic Keychain
Sonic Colors: Ultimate – Digital Standard – $39.99
- Sonic Movie Boost
- Harness all the power of Sonic from the hit Paramount Pictures movie and gain an exclusive electric boost and aura.
- Exclusive Player Icons
- Stand out from the crowd with your own exclusive player icons.
Sonic Colors: Ultimate – Digital Deluxe – $44.99
- Early Access
- Hit the ground running and experience Sonic Colors Ultimate early on Friday September 3, 2021 at 6:00 PDT // 13:00 GMT.
- Exclusive Player Icons
- Stand out from the crowd with your own exclusive player icons.
- Ultimate Cosmetic Pack
- Customize Sonic and stand out with exclusive gold and silver gloves and shoes, an electric boost and aura from the hit Sonic movie and exclusive Sonic movie themed player icons.
- Ultimate Music Pack
- Three exclusive original game remixes to set the pace for you while you put an end to Dr. Eggman.
To celebrate the news, SEGA has released an action-packed new trailer providing fans a glimpse into the bright, 4K, intergalactic adventure. Watch Sonic’s most colorful speed-run yet in the trailer here.
Join Sonic in the high-speed adventure of a lifetime! The evil Dr. Eggman has built a gigantic interstellar amusement park bursting with incredible rides and colorful attractions – but he is powering it with a captured alien race called “Wisps.” Use Sonic’s lightning speed to free the Wisps and learn the secrets of their amazing powers as you explore six unique colorful worlds, each filled with dangerous enemies and hurdles to overcome. Sonic will be tested on this exciting journey to free the Wisps, whose mystical powers can be harnessed to grant special abilities – and with their help, and yours, it is a test he’ll pass with flying Colors! Now with stunning upscaled visuals, additional features, a new game mode, and enhanced gameplay – it is the Ultimate Sonic Colors experience.
Features:
Sonic Speed and Non-Stop Action –
- Accelerate to adrenaline-pumping super speed, zoom across challenging worlds, and maneuver through hazardous obstacles. Time your attacks perfectly to charge your boost and reach Super Sonic speeds.
Interstellar Amusement Park –
- Explore and adventure through immersive environments, like a Sweet Mountain filled with delightful sweets or an Aquarium Park filled with sea life and countless pools – all centered around a mysterious astro-amusement park.
Wisp Power-ups –
- Transform Sonic by harnessing the magnificent alien power of Wisps to defeat enemies and discover the secrets of the interstellar amusement park. Pass through solid objects and discover alternate paths using the new Jade Ghost Wisp.
Better Than Ever –
- Available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch and now more colorful than ever with enhanced visuals and graphics, refined controls, and many more gameplay upgrades. The game is also playable on PlayStation®5 via backwards compatibility and Xbox Series X|S.
‘Rival Rush’ Mode –
- Put your skills to the test and go head-to-head with Metal Sonic. Outrun Metal Sonic to unlock rewards!
To pre-order Sonic Colors: Ultimate, please visit http://sonicthehedgehog.com/colors
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
