#first it's three fangs in sonic superstars

[dj-dogster]

I'm cursed

[thankskenpenders]

IDW's Fang the Hunter miniseries! All four issues are out now! I don't have as much to say about it as I did with the Knuckles show, but I do have some thoughts.

So! This is a pretty fun miniseries. I liked it.

It's fun to see Ian get to write a four-issue arc starring the Hooligans, his precious boys, with a B-plot showing Sonic and Tails' perspective on this little adventure. As always, Ian captures the characters' voices well. In particular, I really liked Bean in this, who despite being a slapstick screwball is actually a pretty perceptive guy. He often acts as sort of a voice of reason for Fang, seeing right through his sweet talking and pointing out how badly all of their schemes go but sticking around nonetheless just for funsies. And the art (illustrated this time by Mauro Fonseca for the first issue and Thomas Rothlisberger for the rest) is as good as we've come to expect from IDW's Classic Sonic output. Overall, this is a fun little romp that captures the vibes of the Classic era very well.

...But...

Well, as I've said before with the Amy and Tails anniversary specials, I feel like we're kind of seeing diminishing returns with these Classic spinoffs. They're fun, sure, and very nice to look at, but their writing always leave me wanting more.

A big part of this is just that there's just less to work with compared to the Modern universe. The Classic cast is much smaller, and within that cast there are a bunch of characters currently going unused, some of which are currently off-limits. Aside from the appearance of the Witchcarters in Tails' special, we've pretty much just stuck with the cast of Sonic Mania and the Hooligans, as established in the first special. No Chaotix, no Battle Bird Armada, barely any Honey. (Classic Vector was able to get a tiny cameo in the Amy special only because he was so obscured that it gave the IDW team plausible deniability to say it was actually a different character if Sega complained.) It's a very small box, and Ian's recent Classic comics haven't particularly expanded the boundaries of that box. They're just excuses to play the hits for old times' sake. And that was a lot of fun the first time around, but the novelty is starting to wear off for me.

I will admit, sure, the tighter focus on a specific set of characters from the games is a big part of the appeal of these Classic comics. They're simpler. They're nostalgic. They're shining the spotlight on characters that can't be used in the main series. They're the slavishly faithful old school Sonic comics that we could never get in the '90s, because the comics we did get diverged into their own continuities with tons of new characters. I get all that.

But the thing is, the Sonic comics have always added all those new characters because you can just do so much more with them. The game cast is great! But they're corporate mascots Sega keeps on a tight leash. You can do so much with a character like Sally or Surge that you could never do with any of the game characters, and by pushing into new territory with these new characters you can also bring out interesting new sides of the game cast. Maybe Sonic himself can't have some crazy complex character arc, but you can see how he'll respond to the things going on with these other characters, and how these other characters' arcs are informed by their relationships with Sonic.

So I look at the Fang miniseries, and I'm like. This was pretty fun. But by the end, what was the point of the story? What did we learn about the Hooligans as characters that we didn't already know? Is the point just to depict an adventure where things go off the rails a little and Bean and Bark end up a little miffed, explaining why they weren't with Fang in Superstars? There's potential for an arc there about the dissolution of the group, but it really does come off more as the type of spat these three probably get into all the time before coming back together for the next job. It's neither super dramatic nor super funny, feeling more like it ends on a fairly matter-of-fact note where Fang's like "welp, time to go do the events of Sonic Superstars" at the end, not particularly plussed by anything that happened in this arc. What we're left with is four issues of the Hooligans encountering recognizable characters and visiting recognizable locations from the Classic games, with little that really feels new or fresh here.

Ironically, the most interesting story element to me here (aside from Bean's characterization) is its tie to the main comics, something previous specials couldn't do since Sega had yet to reunify the Classic and Modern timelines. The plot of this comic revolves around Fang following the myth of the "eighth Chaos Emerald," riffing on both old playground rumors and Sonic the Fighters. What they actually end up finding isn't an extra Emerald, but rather the Warp Topaz that would eventually end up in Starline's possession in the Modern era, having apparently been found by the Hard-Boiled Heavies in the cave seen in the 900th Adventure special.

That's kinda neat, and the abilities of the Warp Topaz are used in fun ways. But this isn't exactly something to write home about for people who aren't lore nerds like me. There isn't a particularly meaningful connection between Fang and Starline's arcs here due to the presence of the Warp Topaz, it's just a thing for the wiki. Again, Ian's in his connect the dots mode a little more than I'd like here.

(...So wait, if Starline didn't find the Warp Topaz himself, did he track down the cave where the Heavies found it to leave that "greatness began here" graffiti? Eh, I guess that sounds like something he'd do. He's known for nothing if not his obsessiveness.)

So, again. This was a pretty good miniseries. This all makes it sound like I hated it, but I did like it overall. I particularly liked seeing the Hooligans fight the Hard-Boiled Heavies. But it leaves me feeling less fulfilled than something like Scrapnik Island or Tangle & Whisper or Imposter Syndrome. I get that, by the very definition of the word, Classic Sonic is always going to remain trapped in amber to some extent. This isn't the version of the franchise that's supposed to grow and change. That's what Modern Sonic does. Classic Sonic will always be trapped in the early '90s. I'm not asking for them to add a dozen new characters with complex dramatic arcs to the Classic comics, since that's not what Classic Sonic is about. But I think the other Classic Sonic stories not written by Ian - i.e. the driving school story by the McElroys and the two stories about Amy by Gale Galligan - show that you can tell fresh new Classic Sonic stories that aren't just about remixing the hits from the games.

If we're going to continue getting Classic Sonic comics from Ian (and I hope we do!), then I just hope he's able to find a better balance between familiar and new ideas, like he and Evan do so consistently with their Modern Sonic output.

[therummesoccupied]

FANG THE HUNTER: ISSUE #4 - THOUGHTS

I know! I'm very late! I'm sorry!

It's just... I can't think of a ton to say about this one that I didn't already say about the other three.

The writing is good, there are lots of neat character moments, art is stretchy and fun with plenty of visual inspiration from the games... yeah, it's cool!

Some specific points I'd like to note, though...

I do really love this scene where Fang just straight-up yoinks the Heavy Shinobi's katana and KO's him with it. It's the kind of thing I wouldn't normally think SEGA would allow, since we haven't really seen any character use a sword in canon since Black Knight (if Black Knight is even canon, for that matter).

Perhaps its the anime kid in me, but that was rad as hell.

I've seen a few folks complain about this moment - namely after Fang's proclamation that "Nobody takes what's mine" back in Issue 2, but... I dunno, I think it's fine.

Firstly, the situations are not equivalent. This isn't really a case of somebody "taking" Bark from him as much as him choosing to leave Bark behind.

Secondly, a big part of this comic's story has been the growing strain on the Hooligans' relationship as the story has gone on. His feelings about the other two have certainly changed since then.

Thirdly, I think he pretty clearly... doesn't mean it?? Like, all it takes is Bean looking at him funny and he decides to go help Bark out.

I dunno, this does not seem like a huge deal to me.

I also really like the fight between Bark and the Heavy King.

With the detail they add to Bark accruing damage over the course of their brawl and the little bits of lighting and shadow they add to him, they manage to make Bark look... kinda badass?

Like, I get he was always meant to be a cool fighty guy, but he's also always had that Silly Classic Sonic verneer over him that keeps him from seeming too... I dunno, COOL!

I'm just glad they even went the length to add this little bit of visual intensity.

Speaking of Bean and Bark, though, I must regretfully acknowledge that what I predicted did ultimately come to pass...

The Hooligans have broken up.

(Also I keep seeing Sonic YouTubers refer to them as the "Hoodlums?" That's... not their name? Whatever, it's just weird.)

Anyway, I actually really enjoy this move. It's not often in IDW we get to have a tale end in tragedy, so it's nice to see the conclusion here be so bitter. These are three characters we've been used to seeing together for YEARS, even before IDW Sonic began, and now, they're no more.

Maybe they'll have a heartwarming reunion someday, but thus far, this split has even carried over into the games, as we've seen in Sonic Superstars.

Speaking of Superstars...

That's how our comic ends - with Fang setting off for Northstar Island to begin the plot of Sonic Superstars!

In the time since this issue came out, I've learned this move was fairly controversial, but I dunno, I found it neat! This is the first time I can think of that we've had the plot of IDW play directly into a specific game!

They haven't firmly established if or when stuff like Team Sonic Racing or Sonic Frontiers happens within the comic yet (my personal headcanon is that neither have occured up to this point) so it's cool to see the IDW story so clearly connect itself to the games this way.

It's also neat to see IDW's Classic Era link itself to the Modern Era with Fang ending up in possession of the Warp Topaz, which of course, we will later see appear in the hands of Dr. Starline. I already did my big rant about how much I LOVE the Warp Topaz being here and how it has firmly gotten me onboard the Unified Timeline now, but it's still a very cool note to end on.

It does leave me asking a few questions, though?

Firstly, if Fang has the Warp Topaz at the beginning of Superstars' plot... why doesn't he... use it? I can't think of a single time he teleports or warps around in that game. Heck, his ace in the hole is a big mech of himself that doesn't appear to do anything of the sort.

Then... how does it end up in the cave where Starline finds it? Was there some form of confrontation between Starline and Fang we'll never get to see?

And wouldn't that be SICK??

As weird as the choice to end the story with Fang in possession of the Warp Topaz was, I'm pretty happy with how this miniseries came out! I really hope that, in the future, we get more arcs like this centered around specific members of the games cast.

I like the IDW cast just fine, but... c'mon. You KNOW that's not who we're picking up the comic to see.

The book tells me everything I need to know about them just by the way it puts them in the story.

The reason I love arcs like this and Scrapnik Island is because they take the characters I'm already familiar with from my time with the games - Fang and Mecha Sonic - and tells me things I didn't know about them, puts them in situations I've never seen them in before. Takes stuff I know from the games and EXPANDS upon it!

All in all, this is up there with Scrapnik Island and Chao Races & Badnik Bases as my favorite arcs in the series.

With Fang in the rear view, we head back to the Modern era for the Phantom Riders arc, the first issue of which is already out, and I hope to talk about it before the next one is released this time.

Thanks for reading!

[knizuu]

Trio of Trouble // Triple Trouble!!!

Others probably make some cool connections already but COOL STUFF IS STILL COOL :D

Obviously first of all

THE FONT THE FONT THE FONT DNJKEGHKGRGHWJLKGJEWK AHHHHH It’s bringing me mental tears omg >U<

I remember first seeing this and being like TRIPLE TROUBLE TWIN WHO?

Second of all

I know this was not on purpose but I like how Fang first holds the red chaos emerald in Triple Trouble but Trip has it in the character descriptions in Sonic Superstars. It’s very fun to see! And I think it’s kinda cool :]

Third of all

@im-just-a-dumb-gay noticed how Trip is a lot like Knuckles and I see it too! The last of their kind aspect is interesting since maybe Trip isn’t the last of her kind but it’s sad how she’s the only one we’ve seen so far. Also both have a culture thing going on since the mural in Trio of Trouble includes beings that looks a lot like Trip, and because murals are mostly ancient- It ties with Knuckles being an echidna, which has a culture aspect as well…without the big brain moments it’s still obvious that AH YES MAIN THREE BUT INSTEAD OF KNUCKLES ITS TRIP SO-

Last of all ^ ^

It’s nice to see Knuckles and Fang interacting more each time they get the chance. It might’ve started ever since Triple Trouble but at least in my sense, I don’t see it enough! It’s funny to see them fight because the want the same thing, and maybe in the future 30th anniversary comic thing we get to see more interactions!

Also, it’s always struck me as goofy that in Triple Trouble-

Knuckles: Laughs, activates thingie, then sets your screen on fire (chad moment)

Fang: Laughs, activates thingie, accidentally sets himself the fire (sad moment)

XD idk I thought it was cool

[godsavethecam]

TONIGHT, 7:00 PM CT

It's Cam and Cade versus Fang the Hunter in the grudge match of the Thursday evening. Can our heroes snipe the sniper within a generous three-hour window? Join us on Twitch for the finale of Sonic Superstars!

*there's a good chance we'll be finished in the first hour, in which case we'll likely switch to Super Mario Bros. Wonder!

[satoshi-mochida]

Sonic Superstars launches October 17

Gematsu Source

Sonic Superstars will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on October 17, SEGA announced.

Get the latest details below.

The newest trailer for Sonic Superstars showcases more gameplay from Sonic’s upcoming adventure including deeper looks at local co-op and Battle Mode. Play through the entire campaign with up to three other players in drop-in and drop-out local co-op, or challenge up to seven other players online or three other players locally in the new Battle Mode. SEGA also unveiled Sonic Superstars‘ Digital Deluxe edition, which will include the base game, LEGO Fun Pack with LEGO character skins for Amy, Tails and Knuckles and levels for Battle Mode, as well as extra content including a special Sonic Rabbit skin that shows off Sonic’s original character design, Mecha Sonic parts for Battle Mode, exclusive wallpapers, a digital artbook and a mini-original soundtrack for $69.99 USD. Sonic fans can pre-order the physical and digital standard or Digital Deluxe editions of Sonic Superstars ahead of launch at sonicsuperstars.com to receive an exclusive in-game LEGO Eggman character skin. Plus, every player of Sonic Superstars will be able to experience the Blue Blur in brick form with a free LEGO Sonic skin available at launch!

-Standard Edition ($59.99 USD)

Base game (Physical or Digital)

Free LEGO Sonic skin

-Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99 USD)

Base game (Digital Only)

Sonic Rabbit Skin

LEGO Fun Pack

Mecha Sonic parts for Battle Mode

Additional menu screen wallpapers

Digital art book and mini-original soundtrack

Free LEGO Sonic skin

Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose and harness all-new Emerald Powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to three other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late!

Key Features

A New Spin on a Classic – The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You’ve never played classic Sonic like this before!

Play as your Favorite Characters – Choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and take advantage of their unique abilities to blaze a path across the Northstar Islands as they race to defeat Dr. Eggman, who has teamed up with an old nemesis, Fang.

Harness the Power of the Chaos Emeralds – Multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form, and more with the powers of the Chaos Emeralds.

More Friends, More Fun – For the first time ever in a Sonic game, play through the entire campaign with up to three other players with drop-in and drop-out four-layer local cooperative play.

Battle Your Friends – Compete online with up to seven other players, or three other players locally, in an all-new player-versus-player minigame!

Watch a new trailer below.

Multiplayer Trailer

English

Japanese

[demifiendrsa]

Sonic Superstars - Announce Trailer

Sonic Superstars will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S,��PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC in Fall 2023.

Overview

About

New thrills. Classic feels.

Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to three other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late!

Key Features

A New Spin on a Classic – The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You’ve never played classic Sonic like this before!

Play as Your Favorite Characters – Choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and take advantage of their unique abilities to blaze a path across the Northstar Islands as they race to defeat Dr. Eggman, who has teamed up with an old nemesis, Fang.

Harness the Power of the Chaos Emeralds – Multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form, and more with the powers of the Chaos Emeralds.

More Friends, More Fun – For the first time ever in a Sonic game, play through the entire campaign with up to 3 other players with drop-in and drop-out four-player local cooperative play.

[lewisibarra1512]

Been a week since I was offline, but I've finished Sonic Superstars in three different stories! I was never aware Trip was a dragon at first when using Chaos Emeralds, but it's a good thing she finally came to her senses after realizing Fang (Nack) was a treasure hunter under the guidance of Eggman.

Now, for me to sell it away while getting a bit more cash and forget the whole ring losing nonsense ever happened. Or, so I thought...

[lighteffexor]

My short Sonic Superstars take after having fully-cleared the game (well, it was short when I first wrote that sentence):

These bosses are definitely some of the worst in the classic series. Having 30-second long downtime in-between chances to damage the bosses doesn't make the boss hard, it just makes them tedious and overstay their welcome, ESPECIALLY in Trip's campaign.

In particular, the three final bosses (Eggman, Fang, and Dark Dragon) all take about seven minutes MINIMUM, assuming you take every opportunity to attack them. That is absurd. Especially with Fang and Dark Dragon who have instant-kill moves with Fang having, what, two of them (three if you count the head slam making pits)?

The one exception is the Press Factory Act 2 boss. That one's pretty good and he can stay.

Let's look at another game. Sonic Rush had bosses like this where you had to wait around for a chance to hit them, and those bosses all suck. Now take those bosses and put them in the actual stage instead of their own act. Makes me never want to replay these stages again. Which sucks, because these stages are pretty good.

The good news is that Time Attack only contains the stage and cuts out the boss fights. Makes the stages so much more enjoyable. The problem is that you can't use the emerald powers. I never really used them, so it's not that big of a deal for me? Still, it's something.

In short, I think Superstars has B+ level design, but the bosses drag them down to, like, a C- on repeat playthroughs. I just don't want to do these endurance rounds again. Once is enough. Especial Dark Dragon. Never touching that thing again.

---

Actually, you know what? Let's talk about Dark Dragon specifically. It's the Super Sonic boss, so you have your 50-ring timer. It's a free-movement kind of fight like Egg Reverie and you also have the dash attack that costs rings. Sounds fine on paper, since Egg Reverie was pretty good.

Well, he's a Superstars boss, so he has lots of downtime between attacks and you can't always hit him. So he's wasting not just your physical time in the real world, but also your rings. Rings are also nowhere near as plentiful as Egg Reverie, so you'll be lucky to get a ring count over 50.

He also has two phases with each I think taking 8 hits to beat.

Phase 1 has a meteor move that you need to kind of be lucky to have an opportunity to hit with since the meteors you can hit him with can be off-screen in a random direction with no indication on what side it'll fall since its indicator is the blue light it'll fall in.

He also has a blue crystal move that just wastes time since you're Super Sonic and don't get damaged.

He also has a move where he slowly moves across the screen multiple times that just wastes time since you're Super Sonic and don't get damaged.

He also has a sidescrolling black hole attack that has an instant kill mechanic if you don't dash out fast enough. You can kind of influence where they'll be, but I wouldn't count on it. This is the only other time you can hit him in phase 1, and it'll be the only way you can damage him in the later parts of the phase.

Then there's phase 2. No ring refresh, so you're keeping what you have.

It has one attack where he swipes at you, kind of like Time Eater, but you can damage his hand after the swipe ends. A use for the dash, I guess? It's not reliable at all to hit, and I usually do it on accident when trying to gather rings.

Then there's a move where he sends a wave of energy at the screen with a blind spot you need to fly to to not not get damaged since you're Super Sonic. It's faster than the other two non-damagable moves in phase 1, so it's not TOO bad?

Then there's the sidescrolling attack which is a fireball he lines up to shoot at you. It's easier than the black hole attack in phase 1 which confuses me, but I won't complain. Feels like an attack something like Egg Salamander or 3DS Time Eater would use.

Then there's the final segment which has a new mechanic where you need to time a homing attack by lining up a shrinking reticle. It's awful and, from my experience, hardly works. Then he uses a laser move you need to dodge for an amount of time. 10 seconds or so? Then you line up one more reticle to finish the fight.

That final segment doesn't give you floating rings and the only ones you can get are from your friends who periodically fly across the screen, so you'd better hope you have enough when this part starts. Awful final boss, never doing it again.

Or maybe it was some higher-than-60fps bullshit going on since I was having so many problems last night, but after capping the framerate to 60 this morning after learning the game doesn't play with higher framerates, I beat it first try, so who knows, maybe fps affects more to the fight than the reticle bullshit seemingly is.

---

Overall, if I never have to touch the bosses again, Superstars is up there with the better games in the series. Around CD and 1 with the other A-tier games for me, probably. With them, though? Ugh, I'm not sure. Low-B, maybe high C? The bosses really drag the game down.

[sonicfanj]

A quickie AU concept Background for my Rosy redesign

So, on and off I've been juggling with coming up with a background for my Rosy redesign but never felt like anything really worked because I just constantly want to involve the whole franchise in some form or another. Even going for an AU approach it's proven a challenging task. Then there is also the fact that I seem to better at writing synopses than anything else really resulting in me not knowing the best approach to take. Well, getting tired of my indecisiveness I figured why not just put something out that's part story synopsis and outline and put this little piece together.

Hedgehog Circus

A History of Rosy

Her origins are unknown and she doesn’t ever bring it up herself so for most she first was noticed in the company of the treasure hunter/ mercenary Fang the Sniper. Though her actual name is still Amy Rose, Fang is the one who took to calling her Rosy as a nickname and her rascal title came from being in the company of the shifty jerboa/wolf. As for why she accompanied Fang is a matter of benefit for the both of them as her fortune telling abilities easily allowed Fang to sniff out treasure and she craved adventure being inspired by the stories of the most famous hedgehog in the world: Sonic. For the most part the two provided the other with what they wanted and despite Rosy’s title as a rascal Fang was still taken aback when he was one who was betrayed of all people.

Rosy’s betrayal was not out of spite to Fang in any regard but rather out of reverence to the powers that spoke to her through her fortune telling. For Rosy their commands were absolute so when her cards told her to travel to Never Lake for a fated encounter she questioned them not. Using her personal magic carpet Rosy promptly traveled to the lake and was greeted by the sight of none other than the Miracle Planet: Little Planet. Rosy was aware of the portals between worlds but was still astounded to see the dwarf planet that itself traveled once a month to her home world there before her eyes. While Fangs treasure hunts had taken her across three of the four worlds that were known to be connected by the powers of the legendary gems of Chaos, Sol, and Time, it was her first time seeing Little Planet. Lulled by her sense of adventure Rosy forgot her reasons for visiting Never Lake and ventured to Little Planet to satisfy herself. In short order she found herself in over her head as she became embroiled with the latest clash between Dr. Eggman and her hero, Sonic the Hedgehog. Experiencing the battle not just between Sonic and Eggman, but also the Time Stones and the Phantom Ruby, Eggman’s own unique gem of legend which could transform the world into his image, enamored Rosy beyond her wildest imaginings with Sonic. When it was all over though and she found herself alone at Never Lake as the rescued Little Planet warped back to whence it came it was almost as though it had all been a wild fever dream. Dream or no though she was positive that meeting Sonic was indeed the encounter that the powers that be desired her to experience and it would change her relationship with Fang forever.

Already feeling betrayed by Rosy her sudden desire to chase after Sonic and be a part of the hedgehog’s life was a major inconvenience to Fang beyond even whether he could trust her anymore. Disgusted he would eventually take a job from Eggman to try and off the blue hedgehog and secure the chaos emeralds for himself. When that failed he would later encounter the last echidna and guardian of the Master Emerald, Knuckles, and form an easy relationship that has persisted to this day. Rosy would not be a part of this new life partnership with Fang effectively handing her over claiming how she was beloved by the gods to the shrewd business woman, Breezie, who was the proprietor of the Hedgehog Circus.

For Rosy who wanted to chase after Sonic the Hedgehog Circus was pretty much a prison. Even so though she would make friends with the majority of the traveling circus’ members, including; Chuck, the hedgehog robotics engineer who also acted as the conscious to Breezie’s cold hearted business mindset; the pop superstar, twins Sonia and Manic and their mother Aleena whose compassion would encourage Rosy to keep dreaming big; and lastly the mail pilot turned stunt pilot Paulie and his wife Brenda, son Nicky, and daughter Anita. Of the various members of the Hedgehog Circus it was Paulie and his stories of adventure that most enamored Amy and the closeness between the two resulted in Rosy not just being the circus’ resident fortune teller but also an acrobatic wing walker for the main events.

Unfortunately for Rosy the amount of money she could make Breezie made her the traveling circus’ star attraction with the headline “the hedgehog girl who’ll become more famous than even Sonic” meant she had all of no freedom. With Fang’s warnings about Rosy’s willingness to just run off based on her fortunes even those were closely watched and Rosy had all of no chance to again pursue her love of adventure beyond the locals the circus visited. That did not mean she was totally trapped though as some adventures still awaited her such as a chance encounter with Sonic in Station Square and the short lived adventure that followed before Chaos, God of Destruction laid the city low before eventually being stopped by Sonic. Seeing the power of the gods first hand though and how Rosy was unharmed during the events by all but Eggman’s minions Breezie became even more greedy and though Rosy was known as a rascal began promoting the love struck hedgehog as beloved by the gods. With such a title it was of little surprise when Rosy was summoned by Lumina to Maginaryworld to restore the Precious Stone along with Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles resulting in Rosy learning that Fang was well. As a reward for her part in restoring the precious stone Rosy was returned to her world away from the Hedgehog Circus and finally had the chance to finally pursue her dream of chasing after Sonic and becoming a part of his life.

Freedom was not as easily obtained as Rosy believed though as her reputation with the Hedgehog Circus had spread well throughout the three worlds and she was recognized everywhere she went. It was only a matter of time before her whereabouts were discovered by the Hedgehog Circus. Her time in Maginaryworld had changed her though and her desires to chase after Sonic manifested in being able to achieve speeds that would allow her to do just that resulting in her being able to travel the world. Feeling mischievous and free both Rosy traveled to as many random and disparate places as she could in as short a time as she could to make it impossible for Breezie to track her down. However, as her speed and freedom were gifts of the powers that be, or the gods to be exact, Rosy still considered herself obligated to answer their commands and wasted no time in doing so when her fortune telling directed her to Soleanna.

Unsure of what to expect in Soleanna, Rosy convinced herself that if she was required to go that she would likely have another destined encounter with Sonic. What she found instead was Silver the Hedgehog and found herself entangled with his quest to stop the God of Time Solaris from laying waste to the world through its avatar Iblis. When it turned out that Sonic was the target of Silver’s quest Rosy defended Sonic based solely on her faith in him and his willingness to save the world no matter what he’s up against. Despite Rosy’s faith in Sonic though her decision seemed to backfire as she finds herself uninvolved with anything of note Eventually by the time Rosy decides to leave Soleanna before Breezie catches up with her she finally notices something major happen as she finds herself back in time to just before the start of the Festival of the Sun. Confused and unsure Rosy turns to her fortune telling and learns that her and another hedgehog have been granted a second chance. Guessing it is Silver who has been granted a second chance Rosy searches for the time displaced hedgehog and learns that he is trapped in the past with nowhere to go and no one to confide in after watching Sonic save Solaris. Feeling like she is supposed to be responsible for him Rosy decides to try and patch things up with him by inviting him to watch the Festival of the Sun. It is at this point that Breezie finally catches up with Rosy with the Jackal Squad in tow having suspected that one “beloved by the gods” would attend such a festival. Though not wanting to give up her freedom, Rosy also does not desire to endanger Silver and willingly returns to the Hedgehog Circus with the telekinetic hedgehog finding a home within.

With Silver’s telekinesis being a major draw and the stunts that it could allow Rosy to perform as a wing walker, Breezie has Silver trained as a stunt pilot by Paulie. Additionally, when she learns that Silver’s telekinesis can be used to prevent Rosy from running off she metaphorically twists the time displaced hedgehogs arm so that he acts as her personally assurance that Rosy won’t run off again. Feeling betrayed when she learns of Silver’s new role Rosy still surprises her fellow hedgehog when she casually blames herself and calls it karma for her own actions against Fang and Breezie and optimistically says they should just make the best of it. Despite her good intentions though, Rosy still considers herself beholden to the powers that be so when they portend of a world shattering disaster she naturally becomes most anxious.

When the human world is shattered by Eggman as he releases Dark Gaia, Rosy runs off in search of Sonic believing that he will likely already be embroiled in what’s going on and that her fortune telling foretold these events as she needed to be involved to some capacity. Feeling like he has no choice due to his debt to Breezie, Silver heads off in pursuit of Rosy but has little luck in finding her due to her not getting personally involved in the conflict. In truth, after being rescued by Sonic from Dark Gaia’s minions Rosy found herself teaming up with Professor Pickle, Tails, and a vixen named Zooey who works a junior member of an organization called Checkpoint in researching the Gaia Manuscripts to help Sonic restore the planet. Having a chance to help out by expanding her knowledge of the ancient world and legends Rosy develops a newfound passion that she had not experienced since her time traveling with Fang and gains a yearning to go adventuring again to discover what other wonders the world holds. Faithful that Sonic will save the world in the end Rosy is not even bothered when she doesn’t get to see him again afterward, instead desiring to go off on her own adventures so that way when she does encounter Sonic again she’ll have so much more to share and just might finally be able to get him to open up to her a little.

To pursue her new dream Rosy learns what she can about Checkpoint from Zooey. As it turns out, Checkpoint is an organization that adventurers, including Soinc, report their findings to from their adventures to make a living. Zooey herself was a history buff who after befriending Tails through their mutual association with Professor Pickle also got into machinery tinkering. Though she doesn’t personally explore she loves hearing the stories of adventurers, especially those related to whenever a new Warp Zone between worlds is discovered. Having befriended Zooey, Rosy promises to share stories of her adventures too and registers with Checkpoint. Meanwhile, Silver’s own journey to find Rosy persists unsuccessfully and Breezie growing impatient with her star attraction being out of her grip again once more hires the Jackal Squad to bring the errant hedgehog back to her.

----- Anyway, that's my little AU concept background for my Rosy redesign. Let me know what you think and whether or not I should go with it, or if you have any questions about the setting let me know. It's kind of all concept nonsense at this point though so I would appreciate any thoughts everyone has to share. Thanks ^_^

[beforeichangemymind]

“The Jesus Christ Superstar Movie Watching LSD Trip” or “The Judges of the Fate of Andrew Lloyd Webber” (1/2)

This was a rough, terrible day for a while.  I went to college orientation, which was cool, fun, but then I went home and walked into some crazy fucked up shit that I haven’t told anyone and I never will; it scarred my mind so bad.

But anyway, after such a day full of scary, sad images in my head of my mother, my friends Zack and Ethan pick me up and take me down the vape store so they could get some acid.  I was broke af, so I wasn’t planning on tripping.  Zack goes “Pierce, I’ll spot you.”

“Nah, man”

“No, I want to trip with you.”

“Alright”

So, we get the L and we put it on our tongues right then and then go to my friend Tori’s.  Well, I was sure to bring my laptop and PS3 controller, because for a while we sat on Tori’s back porch and we played Battlefront 2 on an emulator on my laptop.

While flying my X Wing through space, the LSD starts fuckin kickin in.  Flying through all those stars looked so crazy.  “Oh shit!  Look at the stars!”

Eventually I turned on the shitty Family Guy video game, and we would take turns trying to beat this dumbass lever where Stewie was in the hospital, and I felt like the sound effects were annoying Tori.  So, I decide that the three of us tripping need to take a walk.

Now it’s the middle of the night, and we’re just taking a walk around the block while we’re starting to trip cock.  Then we saw an armadillo.  It ran into a bush then it stuck itself halfway out.  We stop like “Look at the armadillo dude heeeeeeeeeee!”  We slowly approach the animal, then it looks at us and hissed really fucking loud.  We could see his evil eyes and his vicious fangs, then it turned into a ball and rolled tf off like Sonic.  We start running “OH SHIT!!!!”  It was so damn scary.

Later, we get in Zack’s car and go to his house.  Luckily, he and Tori live in the same neighborhood.  We smoke some weed, smoke some cigs, and pop in the 1973 Jesus Christ Superstar film, which I’ve of course seen a million times, but not enough times.

The movie fades in and we hear the quiet low crackling UFO noise before the first guitar note in the Overture.  I get so excited “EEEEYEEEEEEEEEEE!”

How can I describe this movie?  Well, at the end of the Overture, when the entire cast is scattered across the set as the title JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR comes in, holy shit, I knew that I was in for a ride boy. Shit was so trippy, but I can’t really explain the way it looked.  I remember Carl Anderson’s eyes and face morphing, a lot like the weird trippy deep dream picture I posted on here of him.

I had such a spiritual bond with Carl Anderson, and especially Ted Neeley.  Gethsemane had never been so amazing.  I could feel their emotions, I could vibe with them.

The set, of course all being filmed in Jerusalem, was so organic.  The way it needed to be.  I felt like I was part of the set.  Especially at the end of Could We Start Again Please? when the camera pans out on the disciples standing on a desert hill in a formation that has me thinking “There’s no way Norman Jewison didn’t make this movie for people on acid.”  It was all so natural.  Everything was so natural. The set, the actors, the emotions, the singing with all its rasp, with all its beautiful flaws that create true rock.  The form, the look, the sound that Jesus Christ Superstar is supposed to be.

[thankskenpenders]

There have been some interesting bits of Sonic-related news lately! This is the post where I comment on them.

Sonic Superstars

Finally! A new Sonic sidescroller! It's been too long.

Admittedly, in a perfect world, I would've wanted a Sonic Mania 2, but I'll take a 2.5D game with all new zones for sure, especially when the art direction for it looks this nice. And four-player co-op with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles AND Amy playable? Hell yeah. Also Fang is back, and there's a new funny little guy designed by Naoto Ohshima! Wow!

There's been some concern over how this will play, particularly after it was discovered it's being co-developed by Ohshima's company Arzest. They're perhaps best known for some mediocre Nintendo games like Yoshi's New Island, Hey! Pikmin, and the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic 2016, as well as, of course... co-production on Balan Wonderworld. The thing is, Arzest is very much one of those "silent collaborator" type companies. They're hired gun developers who do the grunt work on projects for other studios without being put in the spotlight. The quality of their games isn't really up to Arzest, who are presumably just doing whatever they're directed to do with whatever resources they're allotted. It's up to their publishers.

Based on the side-by-side physics comparisons that have been going around Twitter, it seems clear that SOMEONE on this project is invested in making Superstars play just like the classic games. I'm admittedly no Sonic physics purist, but the extended gameplay footage (with placeholder music from Sonic 4 Episode 2) looks spot on to me. Christian Whitehead also seems to know things about the game, stating that "the Mania physics were indeed fully translated to modern 3D." It seems that at the very least they consulted his previous work on this, regardless of whether or not he's actually involved.

But even if this ends up not being true, honestly, I'll take a new Sonic sidescroller that's "just okay" if it has all new zones, nice art direction, and good music. If Sonic 4 had checked those three boxes but played exactly the same, I would've been way more into it.

Really, it's the music that has me most concerned. Obviously we all love Jun Senoue, but hearing he's trying to do "classic-style" music again makes me worry that he's gonna bust out the fake Genesis synths. I'm actually a weirdo who likes the Classic Sonic stage themes in Forces, but those weren't by Senoue, whose otherwise very strong compositions were really hurt by the sound palette chosen for Sonic 4. Like many others, I'd prefer it if Superstars went for the new jack swing sound of Sonic Mania - and considering Tee Lopes is contributing, hopefully he's allowed to tap into that sound a little. But I'd be open to other styles, too. I just really don't think a game with HD visuals should be going for a fake 16-bit sound.

But yeah, overall, I'm looking forward to Superstars. I think we've needed something like this for a long time, and I'm glad they're finally doing it.

Sega union update

We don't have many details on this, but the newly forming Sega of America union, AEGIS-CWA, is facing resistance from management. Apparently some form of "anti-union campaign" (their wording) is underway, also described more worryingly as "relentless attempts at union busting." We unfortunately don't have more details right now, and it seems like no news outlets are doing anything with this story.

This behavior is unfortunately not surprising, even from a company that purports progressive values like Sega. Remember kids: corporations are not your friends.

In the face of this, the members of AEGIS-CWA are still trying to convince management to stay neutral with the help of their fan petition that raised over 4300 signatures. At the time of writing this, their first union election is also underway. I continue to wish them luck in their efforts. We're currently seeing a wave of unionization attempts the likes of which we've never seen before, and I have to hope that at least some of them stick. We need real change in the game industry, an industry where if you're able to stick around longer than ten years without burning out then you're one of the lucky ones.

Okay now time for the thing y'all really wanted me to comment on

Penders says he's leaving Twitter

Earlier this month, Penders announced: "Since Twitter is promoting anti-trans nonsense, I can’t in good conscience continue to be associated with it much longer."

He's certainly not wrong. Elon's been doubling down on his transphobic fearmongering, and Twitter's already weak moderation of hate speech has only gotten even weaker. (They quietly removed their rule against intentional misgendering in April.) But based on the date he tweeted this, I assume Ken was referring specifically to Elon promoting Matt Walsh's shit ass transphobic documentary, which Elon personally allowed to be hosted on Twitter in its entirety. I'd quit the site myself if it didn't feel necessary to promote my work and stay connected with my peers. (Both the furry community and the gamedev sphere are very much centered on Twitter.) Assuming Ken does actually leave in protest, hey, good on him.

There's been some surprise over the fact that he's apparently a trans ally, but for all his many flaws, Penders has always been your average baby boomer Democrat. Half his tweets are about hoping Trump goes to jail. He has many outdated views that he refuses to unpack (I am not going to devolve this post into a catalog of stupid shit he's tweeted), but he at least understands that "progressive" is a thing you should try to be. He's that uncle who you wouldn't go to for a nuanced view on queer identity, but like, he knows trans people exist and are discriminated against and that that's bad.

Of course, instead of just leaving Twitter, he's announced that he intends to leave by September 30th, after which point people will have to contact him via his website. The idea of someone scheduling a date four months in the future on which they're going to leave a social media platform in protest is very, very funny to me. I wonder if he has something planned for September that needs to happen first - like, you know, maybe finally releasing at least a portion of The Lara-Su Chronicles?

Lord knows when the hell we'll be able to read the first part of the comic, but in the near future you WILL be able to buy THIS on a t-shirt!

Wait did he change that one character from Anthony Mackie to Ernie Hudson???

Anyway, my one hope is just that even if he does leave Twitter, he doesn't delete his account. His tweets have long been one of my most important sources for behind the scenes info on Archie Sonic, even if you do have to take some of it with a grain of salt. Gallagher and Bollers are simply not going on Twitter and talking about this stuff on a regular basis like Ken does. With so many old forums and fan sites now gone, only partially preserved by the Wayback Machine, Ken deleting his Twitter would truly be the burning of the library of Alexandria for old Archie Sonic behind the scenes drama.

You know, assuming he actually does leave Twitter.

...

Aaaand that about does it for Sonic-related news lately, I think? Okay, back to my hiatus. I would still like to get back to updating sometime this year, but I'm still in recovery mode following SLARPG's launch, so I can't promise when that'll be. I appreciate everyone's continued patience!

[therummesoccupied]

FANG THE HUNTER, ISSUE #3 - THOUGHTS

Issue #4 comes out tonight at midnight for me, so now is literally my last opportunity to write this post before it comes out. Better late than never, I suppose.

Firstly, my thoughts on the art. Everything continues to be really solid here, but there are a few particularly clever bits I'd like to point out.

I really like this bit here where they use the highlights on Eggman's glasses to indicate him squinting.

I also love this whole page. Somewhat predictable of me, as I've spoken at length about how much I adore level design architecture showing up in these comic stories. I really wish we'd get more of these Classic Zone-style sets in the Modern Stories.

There're some points where everything looks a little... flat? But it's not really an issue, just a little awkward if you're really looking for it. Fits the cartoony Classic aesthetic, though.

The story here continues to deliver, and even surprise in some ways. We get a really nice scene of Eggman using deadly force to coerce the Hooligans into doing a free job for him.

I like this a lot because, in IDW, there's always been sort of a tonal divide between the Classic and Modern eras - with Classic being more light-hearted and comedic while Modern tends to be more plot-driven and intense - and it sort of comes to a head with Eggman. Often, Classic Eggman feels... whimpier? than his Modern counterpart to me?

I dunno, it's really that "It was very rude and hurt my feelings" line in Seasons of Chaos and the fact that he keeps all his robots with personalities around in Dr. Eggman's Birthday. Not to say this is bad, but then you compare it to Modern Eggman, who is just an absolute bastard a lot of the time and they don't entirely feel like the same character. So it's nice to see a little glimmer of that Modern ruthlessness here, with Eggman concerned about his territory and threatening to just murder Fang, Bean, and Bark if they don't work for him. He's Evil, I like it.

I also love this little Sonic & Tails scene here:

I believe I mentioned back in my Issue #1 thoughts post that I like Sonic to be a little bit immature, and man, that's just on full display here. The frustrated pacing, the little outburst, the pouting. I like Impatient Sonic! More, please!

We also get a surprising amount of competence out of Fang here.

Really, Fang has been great for this whole arc - which you'd hope would be the case, given that it's his arc, after all. Seeing him gather evidence and make an informed conclusion really lends to the idea that he's every ounce as skilled a Hunter as he claims to be. It's this kind of thing that makes me Very Sad that the Hooligans aren't allowed to appear in Modern stories, because an IDW Hooligans vs. Chaotix story would be so much fun. They're such great parallels to one another. That being said...

We do get another allusion to the Hooligans splitting up after this job is complete.

At this point, I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. Issue 4 is probably going to end with these three sadly going their separate ways. This will help lead us into Sonic Superstars, in which Fang is all by his lonesome once more.

Speaking of the lead-in to Sonic Superstars, let's talk about the plot twist. Ohhhhhhh boy, the plot twist. If you read My Big, Dumb Post About Sonic Timelines, you know I have some things to say about that.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD - BE WARNED

Near the end of the Issue, Fang infiltrates the rogue Hard Boiled Heavies' teleporting flagship and tracks down the item powering it. After all the buildup, the fabled eighth Chaos Emerald is revealed to be:

The Warp Topaz.

This is kind of huge because, since its introduction, the Warp Topaz has always been treated as a Modern Exclusive Plot Device. When we first see it, Dr. Starline is carrying it, and by that point he claims to have been studying it for years. Already this leaves us brimming with questions about how it got to be in his possession after this.

Beyond that, however, there are some implications.

See, like I said in my Issue 1 post, this isn't the first time an eighth Chaos Emerald has been brought up. In Sonic the Fighters/Sonic Championship - which is, incidentally, the first game to feature Bark and Bean - there are mysteriously eight Chaos Emeralds you have to collect to get the good ending. This is the first and only game to feature more than seven, and that was probably because it was created before the franchise had much in the way of worldbuilding under its belt.

Still, since that point, the lore has always been very firm: There are only seven Chaos Emeralds. And it is never, ever explained why Championship had eight. It's never even addressed. Nobody seems to remember it.

Which is interesting because, years after this story takes place, we hear Dr. Starline warn of the dangers of running too much energy through the Warp Topaz, only for Sonic and Silver to run the full, limitless power of all seven Chaos Emeralds through it, and what happens?

Sonic is flung into another dimension without his memory.

Because of this, we know that the Warp Topaz can not only warp time and space, but also the memories of those in its proximity. So why does nobody remember the eighth Chaos Emerald in Sonic Championship?

This could be a stretch, but my theory is that it wasn't a Chaos Emerald at all, but the Warp Topaz.

If you want, you can take it a step further, too. Fang was present for the events of Sonic Championship, and he's the one hellbent on tracking the eighth Emerald down. Yet, when asked how he knows about it, he never gives a straight answer.

It's possible that he can't say where he heard about the eighth Emerald, because he doesn't remember.

Now, I said before - This has some big implications to me concerning the Sonic Timeline. SEGA has been insistent recently that all Classic stories from (Classic Sonic's perspective of) Generations onward take place in the Modern Characters' past, but that doesn't make sense because none of the Modern Characters remember them, right? So the only reasonable explanation is a Zelda-style Split Timeline, right? But SEGA keeps saying there is no Split Timeline, so how does that work?

But what if we had a plot device - a plot device with evidence that these characters have run into multiple times before - a plot device that has been shown to be able to warp the memories of those who come in contact with it?

Heck, this actually made me notice that, back in the main series, the Phantom Ruby made Eggman lose his memory!

I know I'm swimming in some deep headcanon waters, here, but with this, Ian Flynn and SEGA may have finally, finally brought me around on the Unified Sonic Timeline, operating off of the idea that the reason the Modern Characters don't remember certain things from the Classic Era is because of exposure to the memory-warping properties of the Phantom Ruby and the Warp Topaz!

You can actually take this a step further and use it to justify all kinds of headcanons and inconsistencies. Two versions of one game with significant differences between them like Generations or Colors? Pick your favorite, the other is a fabrication brought on by Phantom Ruby or Warp Topaz memory shenanigans! You really like a game, but its position within the canon is dubious because it never gets brought up in main-series material? Congratulations, you can now safely consider the game canon - The Warp Topaz just made everyone forget!

I have no idea if this was an intentional move on Flynn's part, but if it is, it is actually genius. So many questions that I now no longer care whether or not they get answered because I can just go "Eh. It was probably the Warp Topaz."

I know this can only be stretched so far. I know there's a point where you just can't make excuses for shoddy or inconsistent writing. But at least in terms of everything that has existed in the Sonic universe up to this point, I'm really happy there is some version of an explanation for me to cling onto.

Heck, Sonic Boom could be canon now! Amy mentions Sticks in Frontiers! Why is everything so weird and different in the Boom continuity? The whole thing is portrayed the way Sticks remembers it after having her memory altered by the Warp Topaz!

Anyway, I'm not asking anyone to hop on board this theory. I just think it's neat, and the fact that I even get to have my fun with it at all has made me extremely grateful for the Fang the Hunter miniseries, and easily secured it as one of my favorite arcs in the comic.

[satoshi-mochida]

Sonic Superstars announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC

Gematsu Source

SEGA has announced Sonic Superstars for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. It will launch this fall starting at $59.99, with additional details on packages and future content to be announced at a later date.

Here is an overview of the game, via its official website:

About

New thrills. Classic feels.

Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to three other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late!

Key Features

A New Spin on a Classic – The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You’ve never played classic Sonic like this before!

Play as Your Favorite Characters – Choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and take advantage of their unique abilities to blaze a path across the Northstar Islands as they race to defeat Dr. Eggman, who has teamed up with an old nemesis, Fang.

Harness the Power of the Chaos Emeralds – Multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form, and more with the powers of the Chaos Emeralds.

More Friends, More Fun – For the first time ever in a Sonic game, play through the entire campaign with up to 3 other players with drop-in and drop-out four-player local cooperative play.

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

[satoshi-mochida]

Sonic Superstars launch trailer, screenshots

Gematsu Source

SEGA has released the launch trailer and screenshots for Sonic Superstars, which is available today for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store.

Here is an overview of the game, via SEGA:

About

New thrills. Classic feels. Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic 2D Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and harness all-new Emerald powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to three other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang, and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late!

Key Features

A New Spin on a Classic – The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You’ve never played classic Sonic like this before!

Play as Your Favorite Characters – Choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and take advantage of their unique abilities to blaze a path across the Northstar Islands as they race to defeat Dr. Eggman, who has teamed up with an old nemesis, Fang.

Harness the Power of the Chaos Emeralds – Multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form, and more with the powers of the Chaos Emeralds.

More Friends, More Fun – For the first time ever in a Sonic game, play through the entire campaign with up to three other players with drop-in and drop-out four-player local cooperative play.

Watch the launch trailer below. View the screenshots at the gallery.

Launch Trailer

English

Japanese

[demifiendrsa]

Sonic Superstars - Multiplayer Trailer

Sonic Superstars will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC on October 17, 2023.

The newest trailer for Sonic Superstars showcases more gameplay from Sonic’s upcoming adventure including deeper looks at local co-op and Battle Mode. Play through the entire campaign with up to three other players in drop-in and drop-out local co-op, or challenge up to seven other players online or three other players locally in the new Battle Mode.

SEGA also unveiled Sonic Superstars‘ Digital Deluxe edition, which will include the base game, LEGO Fun Pack with LEGO character skins for Amy, Tails and Knuckles and levels for Battle Mode, as well as extra content including a special Sonic Rabbit skin that shows off Sonic’s original character design, Mecha Sonic parts for Battle Mode, exclusive wallpapers, a digital artbook and a mini-original soundtrack for $69.99 USD.

Sonic fans can pre-order the physical and digital standard or Digital Deluxe editions of Sonic Superstars ahead of launch at sonicsuperstars.com to receive an exclusive in-game LEGO Eggman character skin. Plus, every player of Sonic Superstars will be able to experience the Blue Blur in brick form with a free LEGO Sonic skin available at launch!

Standard Edition ($59.99 USD)

Base game (Physical or Digital)

Free LEGO Sonic skin

Digital Deluxe Edition ($69.99 USD)

Base game (Digital Only)

Sonic Rabbit Skin

LEGO Fun Pack

Mecha Sonic parts for Battle Mode

Additional menu screen wallpapers

Digital art book and mini-original soundtrack

Free LEGO Sonic skin

Adventure through the mystical Northstar Islands in this all-new take on classic Sonic high-speed action platforming. Play as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose and harness all-new Emerald Powers to move and attack in dynamic new ways. Navigate gorgeous, never-before-seen environments solo or with up to three other players and stop Dr. Eggman, Fang and a mysterious new adversary from converting the islands’ giant animals into Badniks before it’s too late!

Key Features

A New Spin on a Classic – The 2D Sonic high-speed sidescrolling action platforming you know and love, reimagined with fully 3D graphics, new powers and abilities, an all-new setting, and new ways to play! You’ve never played classic Sonic like this before!

Play as your Favorite Characters – Choose from Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose and take advantage of their unique abilities to blaze a path across the Northstar Islands as they race to defeat Dr. Eggman, who has teamed up with an old nemesis, Fang.

Harness the Power of the Chaos Emeralds – Multiply, swim up waterfalls, change form, and more with the powers of the Chaos Emeralds.

More Friends, More Fun – For the first time ever in a Sonic game, play through the entire campaign with up to three other players with drop-in and drop-out four-layer local cooperative play.

Battle Your Friends – Compete online with up to seven other players, or three other players locally, in an all-new player-versus-player minigame!