Over at the official Summer of Sonic website, organizer and founder Dreadknux announced that SOS 2012 will see the return of Sonic Team head, Takashi Iizuka!

In 2011 Mr Iizuka came to SOS to celebrate Sonic’s birthday as well as party with the fans. After the show he told us that he had a fantastic day. Well it seems that he wants another fantastic day as he’s now coming back for round Act 2.

So far Dreadknux has confirmed that Mr Iizuka will be taking questions from the fans in a Q&A session and fans will be able to meet with him on the day, however more details as to how you can meet him and how you can ask him a question will be given out at a later date.

Source: Summer of Sonic 2012 website.

“Extra Extra!” Not got SOS tickets yet? Don’t despair! Wave 2 will be this Friday at 6PM GMT, see this update for more information. 

Get it? Drown out?

No?

Well, you should be able to get it now, because Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” collides with Acts 1 and 2 of Hydrocity Zone, the famous and fan-favourite water level from Sonic 3 & Knuckles, for this week’s Mash-Up Monday!

Here’s Act 1! Take the water slide down to Act 2 after the jump!

Note: Before anyone asks about the edited Hydrocity layout in the second video, bear in mind that this comes from the hack Sonic 3 & Knuckles: Master Edition.

Found an interesting mash-up somewhere on the net? Mashed a Sonic piece yourself with a completely different song? If you’ve answered yes to either question, then send it over to vizardjeffhog@sonicstadium.org!

Breaking news! SonicMerchandise.com, the official website for Sonic the Hedgehog merchandise that recently brought the absolutely brilliant Sonic Nendoroid figure to UK and European shores, has just announced via its Twitter account that it will also be opening its doors to the US and Canada!

You can check out the brand new website at http://www.sonicmerchandise.com/us but currently it only features a registration page where new customers from across the pond can sign up. If you’re interested, then be sure to fill out the form, as those who do register are promised to be the first to get updates in addition to “exclusive content, products, great prizes and loads, loads more…”

Teaser-tastic, eh!

What’s especially interesting about the registration form though is a section where you can submit your ideas for what you want to see from this Sonic Merchandise US site. It looks like SEGA is really taking fan feedback to heart lately, what with Sonic 4: Episode 2, and now this!

The big question is though – will they be stocking the Sonic Nendoroid for US and Canada customers? Or will they have some other big surprises up their sleeves? Only time will tell!

Let us know in the comments what you think of this news and what you’d like to see from this iteration of SonicMerchandise.com!

Source: Twitter

Sonic 4: Episode 2 has got a tough, uphill road to climb. While critics loved the first Sonic HD game in 2-D, many fans were outraged by its poor physics, unoriginal levels with cheesy gimmicks and uninspired boss fights. Add to that, the far superior gameplay of Sonic Generations and many gamers may already be dismissing this next chapter while critics who praised the first game are already looking at this second chapter with a more discerning eye.

This is a shame because Episode 2 is an improvement over its predecessor in almost every way imaginable. It’s a testament to the fact that both Sonic Team and Sega are listening to their fans. From much better physics, larger and more original levels to great boss fights. It’s almost better in every single aspect. Did I say “almost”? Read on for greater detail in my thoughts on the game. Also, stay tuned for a second opinion later on.

First off, the graphics are absolutely gorgeous. No flat 2-D background with a cell-shaded hedgehog who sticks out a bit too much. Instead, we get quality models of Sonic and his kindred kitsune, Tails running in full moving polygonal backgrounds at 60 fps.  It’s gorgeous and puts similar 2-D/3-D titles (like NSMB) to shame. In fact, I gotta say I personally prefer this even over Sonic Generations visuals which, while gorgeous, can be too highly detailed for its own good and you can easily lose the little blue blur when running at a fuzzy 30 fps in that detailed world. I’m not saying it’s better. I’m just saying I personally prefer it. I also really love how they did cutscenes in a very similar style to Sonic 3. Only with these HD graphics, the characters are much more expressive without having to say a word.

One of the many complaints about Episode 1 was its complete lack of originality. Both its levels and bosses were either inspired or stolen from previous Sonic games. There’s definitely not much of this in this new chapter. While some zones have some mild inspirations (like Oil Desserts’ mix of Oil Ocean and Sandopolis) most of the levels have an fairly original theme and some new badniks to go with it. The only zone to be copied from a previous game (Sky Fortress) has the decency to share a very similar name to its Sonic 2 original, Wing Fortress. In fact while some people may balk at this, the new elements in Sky Fortress work so well I believe this zone is actually better than the original 16-bit version it’s based on. Yea. I went there.  The new zones tend to be bigger, more complex and a bit more challenging than in Episode 1 and don’t rely on as many cheesy gimmicks.

That said, I will say Episode 1 still has something that Episode 2 is missing. Pace and flow. One of the reasons I love Sonic games is the pacing. Running at full speed while jumping from platform to platform while being bounced around like a pinball and exploring a large, open level. Despite its many flaws, Episode 1 at least had that fast-paced flow going for it. Episode 2 seems to be lacking in that aspect a little bit. There are constant stops to use your new abilities with Tails or to do slower, more traditional platforming. Hell, the first two zones are half land, half water! That’s got to be a first for the series. Maybe you can chalk that up to being later levels if you count all the episodes as a whole but that’s still an odd way to start a new chapter. Also, those levels that do give you more emphasis on speed tend to be the worst case of “hold right to win” I’ve ever seen. I’m mainly talking about White Park Act 2 which in my opinion is the weakest level in the whole game. Also, with Sonic constantly using his new abilities with Tails, I barely used the spindash through the entire game. That just feels weird. I’m not saying these levels are poor. Most of them are really fun. They are larger and more challenging with a heavier emphasis on exploration like Sonic 3 had, but at the sacrifice of flow and pacing. But then again, I’m someone who preferred Sonic  2 over 3 and Knuckles. Overall the new level designs are better and do more right than wrong. I just wish I could speed through them quicker.

One thing Episode 2 does really well is the bosses. While Episode 1 just re-used old Eggman bosses and added a new trick to them, Episode 2 lets DIMPS do what it does best with giant bosses that you have to maneuver around and take much longer to kill. My favorite being a giant robot made of scrap metal that drops crates on you as you climb to attack its weak spot. As a great bonus, half the bosses are Metal Sonic himself fighting off Sonic and Tails with all new attacks.

Speaking of Sonics’ digital doppelganger, he gets his own chapter in this game with 4 levels taken directly from Episode 1. That is, if you had purchased Episode 1 on the same console as Episode 2 (sorry Wii owners). Not only does it do a great job connecting Sonic 4 with Sonic C.D., it takes 4 levels from the previous zones and really toughens them up with new layouts and about three times as many Badniks than previous all while adding Episode two’s physics. It’s a great, if not short bonus that I hope you don’t miss out on.

As far as music goes, it’s a mixed bag. It seems Jun Senoue added a few more instruments on his Genesis synth and it makes some of the tunes very melodic. There are tracks from Sylvania Castle and Sky Fortress that are very upbeat and fun. Metal’s opening cutscene uses a great mix of “Sonic Boom” and “You can do anything” in chiptune. The music tends to fit its level’s surroundings fairly well, but at the same time, there’s something lost in several of the compositions. They just feel….”there” as if they were just placeholders. It’s unmemorable and perhaps his weakest compositions since Sonic 3-D Blast. I almost prefer the compositions in Episode 1 more despite their poor accompaniment.  At least I can remember the melodies.

Now, you probably want to know how the Tails and Sonic team powers work out. Well, they’re a mixed bag as well. They’re very easy to use. Just tap the tag button while in the air or on the ground and Tails will team up with you in a few different ways. Call him in the air, and he’ll fly you for a short period before running out of breath. If you call him underwater, he’ll act as a sub and swim you anywhere pretty fast (which is very important to avoid the freezing seals). Finally, if you call him with your feet on the ground, Sonic and Tails turn into a 69’er of doom! A rolling ball that will smash any obstacle in its way and climb walls with ease. He’s great for catching Sonic if he falls off a platform or finding a new ways to battle bosses. That and Tails doesn’t lose rings in the special zones!

However, he also cheapens the game a bit. Because you can call him to fly at any time, he can easily send Sonic over very tricky platform sections. Some levels are designed for that, but there’s still other that practically let you fly over the level. Also Sonic and Tails in ball form break the physics pretty bad as they can climb a wall at any speed and can also make some obstacles too easy. Then, there’s this item box you’ll rarely find in certain levels that lets them do a team blast ALA Sonic heroes while you mash on the jump button for extra rings. It’s so out of nowhere and doesn’t really add anything to the game.

There’s also the introduction of now popular Red Rings from Sonic Colors and Generations. These rings give you a reason to explore the levels further to collect them all. Sadly, once you do, it doesn’t introduce anything new. Just gives you an achievement/trophy. Same kinda goes for collecting the Chaos emeralds in the special stages. Once you get all seven, you get an achievement and can transform into Super Sonic…..with Sonic 4-1 physics! UGH! Also, collecting all the emeralds does not change the inconclusive ending in any way outside of removing “Try again”. Okay, so Metal Sonic has Episode 2 physics but Super Sonic does not? Collecting all the emeralds doesn’t add anything to the ending? Am I still in the beta?

Then there’s co-op. A mess of a mode where you and a friend play as either Sonic or Tails and go through the acts together. Both of you must share the same screen and if you lag behind, it jumps you back over to your friend in a spinning ball. It’s hard when one player is slower than the other and it’s very easy to grief someone. While I don’t care for it myself, I know a lot of my friends are loving it so give it a try anyway. I recommend this mode only with friends if you don’t want to constantly get trolled.

Now, I know what you’re saying. “Jason! I’m getting sick of this giant wall of text! Get to the physics!” Okay then. Physics are a huge leap from the first game. Gone is the unrolling, the slow walking, the wall standing and “stop-dead when letting your finger off the D-Pad”. This is much closer to the Genesis physics while still retaining Sonic 4’s homing attack and jump dash. It’s like a hybrid of both physics. Sonic goes from a stop to a full run in about 2-3 seconds. Roll off a steep enough hill and you’ll keep on rolling faster and faster. The beginning of Sylvania Castle Act 2 is the best example of that. Rolling is the best it’s been since the Genesis days and much better than we got in Generations. Let go of the D-Pad while running or jumping and he’ll slow down. Not drop to a dead stop. At times, it really made me forget I was playing a modern Sonic game and harkened me back to the Genesis days. You really can’t deny that Sega listened this time.

While it has its fair share of problems, Sonic 4: Episode 2 is a huge leap from its predecessor in terms of quality. Better physics, better levels, better bosses and a bigger challenge. While Episode 2 is still not quite worthy of the Sonic 4 title, it might be worth being in the same company as Sonic 1 and 2. If you hated Sonic 4-1 with a passion, this game will probably not change your mind. However, if you liked it just remotely, this one is well worth the $15 price tag. If Episode 3 does happen and continues to improve upon the quality that Episode 2 has then maybe, just maybe, it might be worthy of the title Sonic 4 “as you’ve truly imagined it”. Well, 2/3rds anyway.

The second wave of tickets will be released on Friday 25th May at 18:00 BST.

There will be 200 tickets available this time around, and due to the huge demand, group tickets will be limited to two people per group.

Should you be unlucky enough to miss out this round, there will be a final third wave of tickets so that as many people as possible have a chance of coming to the event.

To check out details on how to get your tickets, head to the Summer of Sonic web page.

You might remember how we’ve previously brought you news about Meccano making toys based on All Stars Racing 2 (back before we knew it’s official title)? Well Meccano have finally released a number of images based on their newly acquired Sonic license… and my oh my they look lovely.

More after the break.

Whilst they’re quite clearly concept images for what the toys might look like, from what  the initial concept shows, they look pretty good, not to mention that the play-set is well detailed and with the inclusion of the ramp and the small clip at the bottom, it suggests that someone could join up additional play-sets to make a full race course with additional zones.

What is interesting about this reveal is that it also shows off a Green Hill Course which has yet to be officially announced by either Sega or Sumo Digital, now why would they make a Green Hill Track unless there was one in the game eh?

The facebook reveal only show Sonic, Knuckles and the Green Hill Zone, we suspect that there are other play-sets coming from the toy maker as back in March we brought you news that several listing of additional Zones (including Chemical Plant) were discovered on amazon.fr. The reveal of the Green Hill zone toy would suggest that these listings are indeed accurate and those tracks will indeed be featured in the game in some way.

No details on the prices or release dates for the figures yet. However, Meccano are due to show off the Sonic toys at the Toymaster Toy Fair next week so we might have more news for you then.

Source: Meccano’s Facebook.

As usual Blue Believers, stay tuned to TSS for further updates.

Update: No Sooner had we clicked the publish button on this, did SSMB member SonikkuForever discover that on Nike’s youtube page, there is a hidden Sonic game which is free to play.

Head over to this link, then at around two thirds of the way through the video, there will be an pitch advert with a shoe in the on it, click on the shoe to start “a rather polished Sonic 1 hack.”

Original Story: So over here in Europe, the Euro 2012 tournament will begin very soon, Euro 2012 is a football tournament involving most of the countries in Europe, typically it’s also a time when various sporting companies start advertising campaigns for various shoes and other football related products.

So you can imagine our surprise when one such advert pops up and Sonic happens to be in it! Video after the break.

SSMB memeber  TheBlueWind reported that his friend had spotted Sonic in a Nike Shoes advert, curious he did a bit of digging and found the advert on youtube, sure enough Sonic does indeed appear… for less than half a second, blink and you’ll miss it… no really, you will.

Spot him? At around 2:34 he pops up in a modified Sonic 1 title screen for about half a second.

The product itself is The Nike Mercurial Vapor football boot, for those who don’t know, is a lightweight football boot designed for strikers, it’s primary aim is to improve speed. Sega doing a deal with this brand would in many ways make sense.

Watching the advert again, there are moments when some shoes appear similar to those Sonic wears, but nothing exactly like it. The campaign is likely to intensify as the Euro 2012 competition draws closer and we might get some more clues as to what Sega’s involvement is with the campaign.

Since these shoes are going to be worn by ‘sports stars’ with any luck they’ll look awesome… and not like these custom made ones which you can buy for a rather silly price tag.

This is not the new shoe that's being advertised, it's an older shoe that's already been released.

Behold, SoNike the Hedgehog… whose skin is sliding off the side of his face.

Stay tuned to TSS for more information as we get it.

Source: TheBlueWind at SSMB & Lucky for reminding me of SoNike the hedgehog.

Very special thanks to: SonikkuForever for finding the hidden game.

The dialogue in this scene is fictional, in case you were not sure

“Modern Sonic isn’t as good as the classics! and here is my fifty billion reasons explaining why!” We’ve all seen threads like this, we’ll all seen youtube videos like this. It’s an old argument and even when the dislike is aimed at classic Sonic, usually the best reply is to ignore the random person…

However when a one Yuji Naka allegedly agrees with a journalist who put it to him that ’Modern Sonic games are not as fun as past Sonic games.’ Suddenly, you take an interest in that discussion again.

Speaking to Gameindustry.biz, when asked about his video game legacy, Yuji Naka reflected on his time at Sega and some of his highlights. At this point in the interview, things started to get a little interesting. The journalist says….

“I also think that recent iterations have not been as fun when compared to those of the past,”

To which the article then says ‘Naka agreed, proclaiming…’

“I think the number one reason for this is that the games have become much easier, so the gamer doesn’t feel that extreme joy that comes with the satisfaction of accomplishing something that was very difficult to achieve.”

Lets be very calm here and examine this for a moment before someone starts to enter a million comments and over react… He did NOT say ‘Modern Sonic Sux’ nor did he directly say that ‘the games are NOT fun’ He isn’t even quoted as any way in saying that the games are not fun or even as dramatically not as fun as the original article makes it out. Otherwise there would have clearly been a direct quote to show this when there is not. Take this as your warning Blue Believers, Yuji Naka didn’t out rightly bash or slag off anything. Whilst the article says ‘Naka agreed,’ he is not quoted as saying those exact words that the journalist said. Be very vary as some people will try to manipulate this one in conversation.

However, if he did agree with that quote as the article claims would suggest that that Yuji Naka doesn’t like the new games as much as the older ones, to what extent that dislike is however isn’t exactly clear. But he did offer some interesting insight into why. Specifically the difficulty, it’s too easy.

He then continues to talk about Sonic games seem to be trying to appeal to a universal audience and that it’s affecting the difficulty, according to Naka, even raising it moderately could work well in the games favor.

Other interesting bits of the interview include his views on Mario & Sonic’s rivalry and even work on other Sega games as well as his time with Prope.

You can find the full interview in the source at the end of this article, but for now, what do you think? Agree with Mr Naka? Are Sonic games a bit too easy? Is it affecting the enjoyment/difficulty? Consider how hard Special Stage Zone 7 is in Episode 2 when answering that one.

Oh yes, as for Episode 2… expect a TSS review soon.

Source: gameindustry.biz

Gone live a few minutes ago, Sonic 4: Episode II is now available for purchase off the Xbox Live Marketplace. The game is priced at 1200 points and should be available worldwide.

Those who are away from their consoles at the moment can reserve a downloadable copy of the Sonic 4 saga’s second entry right off the game’s Xbox Live Marketplace product page and start the download immediately when they get home.

Hey America! Is this yours? I found it on your PSN just sitting there.

UPDATE!!: There is also a Sonic 4: Episode 2 Demo on the US PSN which can be downloaded by anyone with US PSN account for free! That means even if you do not live in the US, use a US Playstation 3 or have even said ‘how do you do’ to someone from the US, you can download the demo right now for free! All you need is a US PSN account and 3 min to make one. That’s it.

Original Story: I thought some of you might like to know that Sonic 4 Episode 2: Can now be downloaded from the US PSN, at the time of writing the store has not fully updated, but the game is there.To find it, use the ‘search bar’ and type ‘Sonic 4′ you will see the listing for ‘Sonic 4: Episode 2′ a few options down.

The game is priced at $14.99 and can be downloaded now, this isn’t a leak, it is the final game, it’s just that Sony slowly adds content to the store and then does the ‘full update’ which changes the ‘new this week’ listings at a later time. It is the final game and you can download it right now… Like this second… as you’re reading.