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{{Future game}}
{{Future game}}
{{unreferenced}}
{{Infobox CVG| title = Sonic the Hedgehog
{{Infobox CVG| title = Sonic the Hedgehog
| image = [[Image:SonicNext-GenPromotional.jpg|250px|Next-generation sonic]]
| image = [[Image:SonicNext-GenPromotional.jpg|250px|Next-generation sonic]]

Revision as of 23:46, 30 May 2006

Template:Future game

Sonic the Hedgehog
Next-generation sonic
Developer(s)Sonic Team
Publisher(s)Sega
Designer(s)Shun Nakamura
EngineHavok
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
ReleaseNovember 17, 2006 (tentative)
Genre(s)Adventure/Platform
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Sonic the Hedgehog (also called Sonic Next-Gen or Sonic 360 to differentiate it from similarly-titled games) is the name of the next-generation video game featuring Sonic to be released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sometime in 2006. It is being developed at Sonic Team, directed by Shun Nakamura. It's to be the tenth game of the main series.

It was revealed during a press release on September 9, 2005; Yuji Naka hinted that this game will be a recreation or a retelling of the original Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog, using speeds "only capable on next gen systems", though his comments could equally refer to the design-process and not the storyline itself (which is radically different) returning to its roots. Its release will mark the 15th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog, just as Sonic Adventure 2 marked the 10th. SEGA has said the release date for the game will be the same day the PS3 comes onto the market. This would set the U.S. release date at November 17, 2006.

Among the new innovations revealed are the incorporation of passing time, including the realistic movement of the sun, as well as highly detailed characters and landscapes (in one demo, a tree was shown in-game with mushrooms growing on it). Yuji Naka has stated that the general theme of the game will be "What if Sonic were real?".

However, Naka had recently departured from Sonic Team and Sega on May 8, 2006 to form his own studio, PROPE. It is unknown about how this Sonic game will progress without his supervision and whether Nakamura will carry on designing the game himself.

Plot

In the City of Water, Soleanna, lives Princess Elise. Elise is the keeper of a dark secret, the "Flames of Disaster", involving a mysterious jewel known as the Chaos Emerald. The evil Dr. Eggman learns of the Flames of Disaster and kidnaps the Princess. Once world-renowned hero Sonic the Hedgehog learns of this, he sets off to save the Princess and the Chaos Emerald, but his quest is interrupted by a strange white hedgehog, called Silver, who talks of the "Iblis Trigger".[1]. Sonic must save the princess, stop Dr. Eggman, and figure out what the mysterious Silver wants.

Shadow will also be featured within the game, yet his role within the story is currently not yet available.

Playable Characters

A recent trailer revealed that it is possible to play as several other characters on top of Sonic. The known cast is:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog - The Hero of the adventure, entrusted with rescuing Princess Elise. High speed, Sonic Adventure-style gameplay.
  • Shadow the Hedgehog - It is currently unknown how Shadow fits in to the game's storyline. In the official E3 trailer and screenshots, Shadow is seen driving a four-wheeled vehicle, suggesting his gameplay may be similar to his spin-off title, Shadow the Hedgehog. According to the game's marketing director on the E3 2006 Show floor [2], Shadow will be able to drive vehicles to get to new areas.
  • Silver the Hedgehog - Silver is a time-traveling Hedgehog who has returned to the past in order to stop Sonic from triggering an unknown global cataclysm that is related to Iblis. [3] Silver has psychokinetic powers that allow him to pick up objects around the playing field and throw them at enemies, including projectiles like missles. He also possesses the ability to levitate in the air for differing amounts of time (using up his energy bar), he also gains more abilities the more rings he collects. Although Sonic meets him in the beginning of the game, he is not playable until half way through.

Stages

Although each character will play the same levels, Sonic Team have stated that each character's unique abilities will allow them to get to different areas of each stage, and deny them from accessing certain items.

Action Stages

  • Kingdom Valley (Official Name): A large, grassy canyon containing the ruins of an old castle.
  • Crisis City (Official Name): A giant, decaying city visibly under attack from forces both mechanical and supernatural.
  • Vine Jungle (Speculative): A large jungle that seems to have overgrown an ancient civilization. It has only been seen in some extended gameplay fotage.

Town Stages

  • Soleanna (Speculative): Seen in the extended trailer. Cobblestone streets, fountains, and a large human population.

Known Features

  • The detail level and draw distance have been upped considerably. High resolution textures are utilized, in combination with effects like bump and normal mapping.
  • A Day/Night cycle has been implemented. As the player progress through the game, time passes by from dawn, noon, dusk, night time, and back to dawn again in real-time. Everything in the game casts lighting and shadows based on the position of the sun or moon.
  • Yuji Naka stated that this game will capture the most realistic sensation of speed ever, a feature only possible on next-generation systems. This may be seen as a parallel to how NiGHTS Into Dreams was designed: capturing sensation of flight.
  • The Havok Physics Engine has been implemented, giving robots and debris realistic physics as objects crumble, fall and bounce around the playing field.
  • The basic features of previous Sonic games return; classic objects like springs and dash plates, as well as newer features like rail-grinding, sliding and the homing attack, were all shown in the demo, whilst adding new elements such as Sonic catching a ride with an eagle, grinding on a jet stream of water, and using spring ropes to proceed to the next area.
  • In previous Sonic titles, character models were constructed with about 1,500 polygons. While there is still debate over the validity of the claim, a recent issue of GamePro said that player models in this game will be composed of over 1 million polygons each.
  • By default, the camera is closer to Sonic, and lower to the ground than the previous Sonic games, to help emphasize the sensation of speed.
  • Gameplay is broken up into two gameplay styles, similar to the original Sonic Adventure: Action Stage and Town Stages. Action Stages are primarily where the bulk of the gameplay takes place, whereas Town Stages are free-roaming locations where the player can talk to non-player characters and explore, similar to Sonic Adventure's Adventure Fields.
  • Certain areas in the levels, dubbed "mach speed areas", allow Sonic to reach speeds that would be unattainable elsewhere.
  • Sonic Team is currently considering online content for this title. It is unknown if they are planning multiplayer modes, or simply extra, downloadable levels. [4]
  • Rings have expanded functionality. Rather than simply being a measure of life, they can now be used to purchase items and abilities in the Town Stages like the Black Market in the Chao Garden. In addition, the more rings Sonic carries, the faster his top speed is - similar to the Sonic Advance titles. The more rings Silver carries, the more powerful his abilities become. It is currently unknown what effect rings have on Shadow (possibly the potency of his vehicular weapons). [5] Sonic doesn't always lose all of his rings in one go either. Depending on how he is attacked, he loses amounts varying from 1 ring to all rings.
  • Levels are far less linear than previous 3D Sonic titles, offering up many alternate pathways through each stage.
  • Like Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic Riders, Sonic Rush, and Sonic Wild Fire, this game utilizes the 4Kids Entertainment voice cast from the anime, Sonic X, rather than the voice actors from the previous Sonic Adventure titles. Jason Griffith is rumored to voice Sonic and Shadow, with Mike Pollock voicing Dr. Eggman. Pete Capella is rumored to voice Silver.

Rumors

  • It has been rumoured that Naoto Ohshima (the original character designer for Sonic and Doctor Eggman) is returning to provide some form of input on this game as well.[6] Masato Nakamura (the original music composer for Sonic 1 and Sonic 2) was implied to be involved in an IGN preview mentioning a "Nakamura", but it turned out to be Shun Nakamura instead.
  • There is a huge possibility that Super Sonic may be fully playable, considering his appearance in the initial demonstration video. In previous 3D Sonic titles as well as Sonic Rush and the Sonic Advance series, Super Sonic was only playable during the final boss encounter. In the classic games, Super Sonic could be playable at almost any time, assuming the player had at least 50 rings and all seven Chaos Emeralds.
  • Although the Sega.com website lists the game is playable with up to 4 players [7], currently, singleplayer only features three playable characters, leading to speculation that a fourth playable character will be revealed at a later date. (names have been tossed around but people say the most likley person for this spot is Knuckles or Metal Sonic.) However, Shadow the Hedgehog also listed multiple players, and only Shadow was directly playable in singleplayer; multiplayer was handled by allowing the player to use different colored Shadow Androids.
  • A scanned brochure Sega was to hand out at E3 appeared to feature a "PC" Icon next to the logos for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. However, as of yet, no PC version has been officially announced, and Sega has yet to confirm a PC version of the game.
  • When someone questioned a member of Sonic Team about Shadow, they stated that they can't reveal anything about his plot, but that he'll be able to use 'military vehicles' to get to new areas.
  • Previously stated that some characters will return, another rumor flying around is that ALL Sonic characters will be making an appearance as Non-player characters in the Town Stages. Nothing has been confirmed yet, though.
  • The demo shown at E3 gave the mission, "Reach a goal ring". This could suggest that there are multiple goal rings in a level, and thus multiple endings. What effect this would have on gameplay, if any, is unknown.
  • A recent Japanese magazine suggests different features between the Xbox 360 Version and the Playstation 3 Version.

Technical Demo from Tokyo Game Show 2005


Before E3 show screenshots


Trailer screenshots

Notes and References

  1. ^ The "Iblis Trigger" could be a reference to the Islamic devil of the same name to tap into existing mythology, or simply a plot device
  2. ^ Gametrailers.com, Sega E3 2006 Video Tour
  3. ^ Kotaku, Silver the Hedgehog: Telekinetic Time Travelling Rodent, URL Accessed May 12, 2006
  4. ^ GameSpot article
  5. ^ Gametrailers.com, Sonic the Hedgehog Gameplay Extravaganza
  6. ^ GameSpot article mentioning Ohshima
  7. ^ Sega.com page on Sonic the Hedgehog
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