Sonic Mania
Sonic Mania business and news from across the web.- Morning Postmortems/RetrospectivesThis article examines the history of Star Wars games, including released titles, cancelled projects, and mods, while also discussing how Sonic Mania revitalized the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise for Sega. It touches on game preservation and the development process behind beloved titles.
"Is this gonna be a Sonic game?": Even Takashi Iizuka wasn't sure about Sonic Pico Park at first, but Sega's learned a lot from its indie collaboratorsSega is collaborating with indie developer Tecopark on Sonic Pico Park, a co-op puzzle platformer that integrates Sonic the Hedgehog elements into the existing Pico Park gameplay. Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka initially questioned the concept but gained confidence from previous indie collaborations like Sonic Mania. The partnership highlights Sega's evolving strategy of working with indie studios to leverage their rapid development cycles and creative ideas.
I attended a Tomb Raider and Horizon developer's boss design masterclass and came away both weary and enchantedPrincipal gameplay designer Marcin Matuszczyk, formerly of Guerrilla Games and Nixxes Software, shared insights on boss battle design at Digital Dragons. He broke down boss encounters into stages: Introduction, Escalation, Midpoint Twist, Climax, and Resolution, emphasizing clear 'tells' for player attacks and learning opportunities. Matuszczyk also touched on the design challenges of multiplayer boss fights and the inspiration drawn from animals for Horizon Forbidden West's bots.
Sonic The Hedgehog is being re-released on cartridge but there's a big problemSega is celebrating Sonic the Hedgehog's 35th anniversary with several new releases, including Sonic Frontiers: Definitive Edition for the Nintendo Switch 2 and two physical game collections. Additionally, iam8bit is releasing special cartridge re-releases of the original Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2 for the NTSC Sega Genesis, though these are primarily for collectors due to regional compatibility issues.- SEGA Celebrates 35 Years of Sonic the Hedgehog with Birthday Livestream ExtravaganzaSEGA celebrated the 35th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog with a special livestream event. The celebration included the surprise release of Sonic Frontiers - Definitive Edition on Nintendo Switch 2, updates for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, new gameplay for SONIC PICO PARK, and announcements for Sonic Forces on Nex Playground and mobile. Additionally, a Sonic the Hedgehog franchise sale on Steam and an expanded Sonic Live in Concert tour were revealed.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds 1.4.1 update out now, patch notes – new content, improvements, changes, moreSEGA has released version 1.4.1 of Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, introducing Classic Sonic as a new playable character along with his Mach Cyclone vehicle. The update also adds music from Sonic Mania and Sonic Superstars, new gadgets, collaboration decals, competitive balance adjustments, and bug fixes. A Sonic 35th Anniversary Festival is scheduled to begin on June 26th.
Sega Announces Two Sonic Game Collections For SwitchSega has announced two new Sonic the Hedgehog game collections for the Nintendo Switch, celebrating the character's 35th anniversary. The 'Classic Sonic Collection' and 'Modern Sonic Collection' will each bundle previously released titles and are set to launch in October 2026 for $49.99 USD.
Feature: In The Zone - Our Favourite Sonic The Hedgehog Levels, Music & MemoriesThis article reflects on the enduring legacy of Sonic the Hedgehog through the personal memories and favorite levels of Nintendo Life staff. Contributors share cherished moments from games like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic Mania, Sonic Unleashed, and Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, highlighting iconic stages, music, and gameplay elements that have defined their experiences with the franchise over 35 years.
Sonic The Hedgehog 35th anniversary interview - the persistence of an iconSega's Takashi Iizuka and Ivo Gerscovich discuss the enduring appeal of Sonic The Hedgehog on its 35th anniversary. They highlight the character's core identity of freedom and speed, the importance of balancing legacy with innovation, and the franchise's expansion into various media like movies, comics, and audio dramas. The interview also touches on future game development, potential spin-offs for supporting characters, and the strategy behind successful brand collaborations.
Weekend PC Download Deals for June 19: GOG.com Summer SaleThis weekend's PC gaming deals include GOG.com's Summer Sale featuring discounts on titles like Hollow Knight Silksong and Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition. Steam and Epic Games Store also have various sales, with free games available on Epic Games Store and Amazon Luna. Humble Bundle offers several game bundles for different price tiers.
Dead Space and Mass Effect trilogy are less than £5 right now in huge saleSeveral Electronic Arts titles are heavily discounted on Steam, with the Dead Space remake available for £4.99 and Mass Effect Legendary Edition for £3.99. Other notable deals include Star Wars: Squadrons, Titanfall 2, Battlefield 1, and Sonic Mania, all priced under £5.
10 years ago, Sega said "we're done with Sonic," and it was up to Takashi Iizuka to save the series:…Sega's Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka revealed that the company was once prepared to abandon the Sonic franchise entirely. He was tasked 10 years ago with revitalizing the series during a period of significant decline, marked by poorly received titles like Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. Iizuka credits the dedicated fanbase and successful media like the Sonic Boom cartoon and movies for helping to restore the character's reputation.
A classic Sonic game is getting a remake according to a former Sega exec, and you only need to look at Sonic movie 4 to…Former Sega of America executive Mike Fischer has heard that a remake of the classic game Sonic CD is in development. While not officially announced by Sega, Fischer expressed his hope for the remake, especially with the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 4 movie set to adapt the game. The article also mentions rumors of a Sonic Frontiers definitive edition and discusses other popular Sonic titles.
I can't decide if this custom Sonic 2 controller with spin dash force feedback is genius or Eggman-levels of…An electronics enthusiast has developed a custom Sega Genesis controller for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that features real-time force feedback for the spin dash move. The controller includes a motor that spins to match the in-game action and a small screen acting as a charge meter. While currently working with a PC emulator, the creator hopes to adapt it for original hardware or other Sonic titles like Sonic Mania and Sonic Origins.
SEGA / Atlus hosting new Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch sale with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Yakuza, and more at new low pricesSEGA and Atlus are hosting a digital sale on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, featuring significant discounts on titles like Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Yakuza Kiwami 2, and Persona 3 Reload. The sale includes a wide array of games from SEGA's catalog, with prices reduced to new lows until April 13, 2026.
Top 10 Sonic the Hedgehog gamesThis article ranks the top 10 Sonic the Hedgehog games, celebrating the blue speedster's diverse career across various genres. The list includes titles like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Frontiers, and Sonic Mania, with Sonic Superstars announced for release in October on multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.
Best Sonic Games Of All TimeThis article ranks all Sonic the Hedgehog platformer games that have appeared on Nintendo platforms. It covers titles from the original Mega Drive debut to more recent releases, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. The ranking is based on user ratings and aims to help fans identify the best and worst entries in the series.
10 Best PC Games For 10 Year Olds: [Fun+Educational Games]This article lists ten fun and educational PC games suitable for 10-year-olds, focusing on titles that are cartoon-oriented and free of explicit content. The selection includes games like Freddi Fish, Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, Plants vs. Zombies, and A Hat in Time, all available on PC.
Video Games In Music #5: Sonic TunesThis article ranks the author's top 10 favorite music tracks from the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series, with a particular emphasis on the Sega Genesis era. The author highlights iconic tunes like Green Hill Zone and Casino Night Zone, praising the series' music for its funky and memorable quality compared to other franchises.
Best Sonic Games!This article discusses Polygon's list of the top 12 Sonic the Hedgehog games, offering personal reactions and then presenting the author's own top 5 Sonic games. The author highlights Sonic Mania as the best 2D game and Sonic Adventure 2 as the best 3D game, while also expressing a desire for more strong 3D Sonic titles.