Wow!! Am I late with this one!! So Sorry about that. Check out our hands-on impressions of Team Sonic Racing, our discussion of Sonic Revolution, the end of Sonic Boom, The Sonic toys at Subway (which I have yet to find a Subway in my area that has them) and much, much more!! Continue reading Sonic Talk 54: Party of Four
The Summer of Sonic Convention is 10 Years Old – Happy Anniversary!
On Saturday August 9 2008, three young British figureheads in the Sonic the Hedgehog community opened the doors to the very first Summer of Sonic convention, welcoming over 300 people into a tiny hall with nothing but a SEGA Mega Drive in the corner and some cupcakes to entice them in. Continue reading The Summer of Sonic Convention is 10 Years Old – Happy Anniversary!
TSS REVIEW: Sonic Mania Plus
Last year’s explosive release of Sonic Mania wasn’t just about a game that ended up thrilling both new and old blue blur fans. It was also proof that a brand new, ‘classic’ style 2D Sonic title will sell – and sell it most certainly did, cementing itself in the annals of hedgehog history. But, while widely regarded as one of the most critically-acclaimed Sonic titles in recent memory, there were some clear presentation omissions and missing elements in the base game – elements that you would think Christian Whitehead and co would have included, if they were just given more time to bake it in.
Enter Sonic Mania Plus. Continue reading TSS REVIEW: Sonic Mania Plus
GALLERY: See the Sonic Mania Plus Special Edition, Up Close and Personal
Sonic Mania Plus hits digital game stores in just a few days time! But next Tuesday is also important for the fact that it will mark the first time that the 2017 platformer will be available in physical format on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. We’ve had a review copy sitting in TSS Towers for a while now (review coming soon!), but we thought we’d share what you can expect to find in the physical package to help hype up next week’s release. Read on to find high-quality photos of everything! Continue reading GALLERY: See the Sonic Mania Plus Special Edition, Up Close and Personal
The Spin: Why Can’t EU Order From The Sega Store?
On October 17th 2017, Sega opened it’s own online shop which had many collectors of Sega merch screaming with delight, even prior to the opening to the opening of SonicMerchandise.Com, fans had been begging Sega to have a store which would be full of exclusive or hard to find merchandise. Continue reading The Spin: Why Can’t EU Order From The Sega Store?
Impressions: Sonic Generations on the Smach Z portable PC console
When I first heard about the Smach Z (initially revealed as the Steam Boy) back in 2014, I knew it was something I wanted. In addition to being a Sonic fan, I’m also a big portable gamer, so a console that could allow me to take some of my favorite Sonic games (and some other titles like NiGHTS and Witcher 3) on the go for the first time immediately caught my interest. Unfortunately, the reality has been a bit more complicated than what the initial pitch promised. Continue reading Impressions: Sonic Generations on the Smach Z portable PC console
The Spin: The Case for Shadow the Hedgehog in Smash Bros. Ultimate
On June 12, 2018 via their E3 2018 Direct, Nintendo finally unveiled Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to the world, coming to Nintendo Switch just in time for Christmas. The celebrated blockbuster franchise is back to reunite gaming’s greatest all-stars, this time with series creator and director Masahiro Sakurai going above and beyond to bring back every single playable character in Smash Bros. history, including one-offs like Pichu and Young Link and DLC characters like Bayonetta and Corrin. Continue reading The Spin: The Case for Shadow the Hedgehog in Smash Bros. Ultimate
Sonic Talk 53: Sonic Talk Live!
Live! From Sonic Revolution 2018, it’s Sonic Talk with Jason and Alex! In this episode, the two hosts have a (semi) full audience for their show. They discuss Team Sonic Racing, IDW Sonic comic #5, the upcoming Sonic movie and much more as they desperately try to fill the 45 minute mark as Jason forgot to write down notes! Revel in the awkwardness!! Continue reading Sonic Talk 53: Sonic Talk Live!
Team Sonic Racing Impressions: Jason’s Take
If there’s one thing Sumo Digital is best at more than anything, it’s making a solid racing game. From Outrun 2 to Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed, the development team has proven that they are the best at what they do. The only thing that could possibly hold them back is a good concept with a fatal flaw. And this is where Team Sonic Racing comes in. Continue reading Team Sonic Racing Impressions: Jason’s Take
TSS @ E3 2018 Interview with Aaron Webber
Yesterday Afternoon during E3, I got a chance to sit down and chat with Sega’s social media manager and world’s biggest Big the Cat fan, Aaron Webber. We chatted about all things “Team Sonic Racing” including extra modes and customizations. This is a good one folks, with plenty of new info. So sit back, click and enjoy. Continue reading TSS @ E3 2018 Interview with Aaron Webber
Team Sonic Racing Impressions, Alex’s Take
The Sonic franchise is no stranger to the power of teamwork. Tails has been an inept, if occasionally useful, AI sidekick to Sonic since Sonic 2. Knuckles Chaotix was built around the idea of two characters using each other’s momentum to rubber-band around the stage. Sonic Heroes had players switching between different characters and using their strengths to get through stages. Continue reading Team Sonic Racing Impressions, Alex’s Take
TSS Review: Sonic The Hedgehog Stretch Armstrong Toy
Growing up in the 90’s, I can remember seeing adverts for a very unique toy, Stretch Armstrong, he was a super hero who in the adverts would stop crime by using his powers to stretch, bit like Mr Fantastic from The Fantastic Four, only he later got a Dog and then a dedicated villain. Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic The Hedgehog Stretch Armstrong Toy
Sonic Talk 52: Amy is the new Sally
In a four-man Sonic Talk that will in no way upset anyone, Jason, Alex GX and guest, the Evil Dr. Reef discuss the first four issues on IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog and whether ot not Amy has replaced Sally. We also chat about Sonic Generations now on X-Box One, Sonic Mania Plus, the Sonic Mania Adventures cartoon and more! So give it a look and the opinions on Sonic Talk are not neccesarily those of the Sonic Stadium and all that other legal mumbo jumbo. Continue reading Sonic Talk 52: Amy is the new Sally
The Spin: How Do You Save, What is Already Doomed?
If you look at some of the most popular debates between fans in the last 12 months, you’ll likely see issues with 2D Vs 3D rear it’s ugly head, the talk of tone in games being bashed around like a tired old deflated leather football, the popular debates are sadly the most tired and dull. Continue reading The Spin: How Do You Save, What is Already Doomed?
A Trio of Fan Works to Look Out For: Sonic Gaiden, Sonic Studio & Project Hero
The world of Sonic fan game development never rests. What with annual Hacking Contests, Amateur Game Expos (plus Really Amateur Game Expos), and the odd flash of brilliance catching the Internet’s attention, these games not only help us pass the time between the major official releases from SEGA, some even push the boundaries of the unwritten rulebook of Sonic game design in ways we can only dream of. Continue reading A Trio of Fan Works to Look Out For: Sonic Gaiden, Sonic Studio & Project Hero
Sonic Talk 51: A Pile of Princesses
In this month’s Sonic Talk, we discuss Sonic’s IDW comic debut with Sonic #1, Sonic Mania Plus, the Sega Genesis collection that’s not coming to Switch for some reason and finally, censored Puma shoes! Meanwhile, Alex still refuses to show his face, so GX piles a ton of Nintendo stock images on top of him. All this and much, much more so give it a watch!….Please. We need the views badly. Continue reading Sonic Talk 51: A Pile of Princesses
TSS Review: Genesis of a Hero (Archie)
More like Revelations than Genesis in hindsight. IDW are set to release their new comic in just a few days from now. But as most of you know, before IDW there were the Archie Sonic comics. Spanning 290 issues, it lasted an eventful 24 years before it met its end in December 2016. To celebrate the passing of the torch from one company to another, I will be reviewing the entirety of Genesis of a Hero (AStH#288 – AStH#291), the last arc of the book. Continue reading TSS Review: Genesis of a Hero (Archie)
TSS Review: Sonic The Hedgehog #1 (IDW)
The old phrase “The more things change, the more they stay the same” has never been more true when it comes to the return of Sonic in comics in IDW’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” #1. After being gone from comic shelves for over a year thanks to a fallout between Sega and Archie, Sonic’s found a new home with IDW. But the creative team has not left. Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic The Hedgehog #1 (IDW)
Wondercon 2018: Interview with Ian Flynn
Walking around Wondercon today, I came across quite a few interesting things. Cosplayers, tons of artists, every other booth requiring a few hundred Funko Pops for sale, a booth that sells only Ewok heads (I’m not kidding) and (formerly) Sonic Boom’s own Bill Freiberger. Continue reading Wondercon 2018: Interview with Ian Flynn
Sonic Talk 50: “The More Things Change…”
Three months in the procrastinating, it’s the 50th episode of Sonic Talk! With our 50th episode comes a new look for the podcast. Now you no longer have to look at a static image, but two of our three mugs (Alex refuses to be on camera) and the fourth image is related to our topics of the month. Continue reading Sonic Talk 50: “The More Things Change…”
The Spin: How SEGA is Ignoring the Middle Children of Sonic’s Legacy
2010 was the year Sonic the Hedgehog came back. Yes, we all heard the stories about how the franchise had declined not long after the jump to 3D, how gaming news outlets and critics even now would begin their pieces with some variation of “Sonic has had a rocky history,” and how every new Sonic game released around the “dark ages” period couldn’t shake off the dreaded “Sonic Cycle.” Continue reading The Spin: How SEGA is Ignoring the Middle Children of Sonic’s Legacy
TSS Review: Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 Soundtrack Vinyl Editions
During this period of vinyl resurgence, it is great to see seminal Sonic the Hedgehog soundtracks are receiving LP incarnations, and as such, following on from 2017’s Sonic Mania vinyl soundtrack released through Data-Discs, Japanese record label Brave Wave have produced both Sonic Adventure 1 and Sonic Adventure 2 soundtracks in 12″ vinyl format. Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic Adventure 1 & 2 Soundtrack Vinyl Editions
The Top 15 TSS Articles of 2017
Continuing a bit of a tradition only this time I managed to plan it to land exactly on January 1st! Throughout the year our site monitors and keeps tracks of various statistics and we’re able to run various reports based on that data. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at what were the top 15 news/articles of 2017 on TSS according to total views, I have discounted individual images or hub pages like the Home page. Continue reading The Top 15 TSS Articles of 2017
Sonic Talk 49: Unstoppable Forces vs. Immovable Objections
Sonic Forces has come and gone and the Sonic Talk crew of Jason, Alex, GX and special guest (and occasional header artist) Cory Holmes weigh in on the game. We go in and critique every detail of this new 3-D outing from Sonic Team. Is it as good as we’d hoped or as bad as we feared? Listen in to find out. Continue reading Sonic Talk 49: Unstoppable Forces vs. Immovable Objections
TSS Review: Sonic Boom Season 2 – Eggman the Video Game Parts 1 & 2
In the second of our Sonic Boom previews, we take a look at the second season’s two-part finale, Eggman the Videogame Parts 1 and 2.
Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic Boom Season 2 – Eggman the Video Game Parts 1 & 2
TSS REVIEW: Sonic Forces Speed Battle (iOS)
It can be hard to produce a companion app for a high-profile console game. If you get it wrong, it can largely be seen as a cynical micro-transaction-heavy cash grab, or at the very least, a poor afterthought. Which is why it’s good news that SEGA Networks’ Hardlight Studio was tasked with building a new mobile experience to coincide with the launch of Sonic Forces. Continue reading TSS REVIEW: Sonic Forces Speed Battle (iOS)
TSS Review: Sonic Forces
Note: This review qualifies as mostly ‘spoiler free’, but it does contain information on stages, gameplay elements.
It’s odd to think it’s been so long since the last major Sonic the Hedgehog release from Sonic Team. In fact, it’s just over six years since the release of Sonic Generations for the 20th anniversary. I’m sure there were raised eyebrows as the 25th anniversary came and went without an A-list title, but perhaps the majority let this pass as the fandom became gripped amidst ‘Sonic Mania’. Continue reading TSS Review: Sonic Forces
TSS Review: Sonic Mania Soundtrack & Vinyl
Growing up in the early 90’s it was impossible to avoid the music scene pervading daily life; seductive R&B tones danced through ear-worm melodies, from songs that would https://www.sonicstadium.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=50098&action=edithang at the top of the charts for weeks. From this musical era came the Sonic CD soundtrack, of which I speak specifically the Japanese/European version, which for many forms the epitome of the classic Sonic the Hedgehog sound. Twenty-something years later, we see the classic series revived through Sonic Mania – complete with a brand new soundtrack. But how does this compare to it’s 1990’s predecessors?
Sonic Talk 48: Succubus Mouse
When is a weasel a kangaroo rat? When is a duck a woodpecker and since when does a bat have it’s wings on it’s back instead of it’s arms? But the real question that needs answering is,…..Hooters? Seriously?!
Join Alex, GX and Jason as they discuss the insane way you have to purchase Sonic Runners Adventure in America, our de-escalating hype for Sonic Forces, Denuvo, Shadow the Hedgehog’s return and Bill Frieberger’s departure from Sonic Boom. All this and much more!
Big thanks to Cory “Jet” Holmes for the header art. Here’s the original, unaltered image.
Sonic Talk 47: Sonic Mania is Runnin’ Wild!
Well let me tell ya somethin’ brother!! I was at Venice beach pumpin’ iron when I heard someone listenin’ to a podcast! It had these three nerds, Jason, Alex and GX, all talking about that new Sonic game, Sonic Mania and heapin’ a bunch of praise on it! Jason was reviewing that new Sega game, Yakuza Kiwami and giving his hands on impressions about Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. They also talked a bunch about all the news on Sonic Forces and reviewed some of the latest episodes of Sonic Boom! Continue reading Sonic Talk 47: Sonic Mania is Runnin’ Wild!
My History with the Archie Sonic Comics
It’s been a month since the announcement that the Archie comics will no longer produce it’s long-running Sonic the Comic, and that a new partnership with IDW will continue to keep Sonic alive in print. Information on the new incarnation of the comic is set to be divulged at New York Comic Con in October. Before we look to the future of Sonic the Comic, why don’t we take a look at the past? In this feature I would like to talk about the many aspects of the American comics, starting with my own 24-year experience with the comic strip adventures.
Mistaken Identity: Fang and Bean Are Not What You Think They Are
In the past, I’ve talked about Sonic facts that aren’t true. We’ve seen various reasons for such misinformation to become fact. However, I don’t think we’ve seen such a web of different reasons play out to get to the points we have with these misconceptions.
The misconceptions? We’ve been getting Fang and Bean’s species wrong for decades.
Continue reading Mistaken Identity: Fang and Bean Are Not What You Think They Are
The Spin: The Notion of ‘A True Threat To Sonic’
[This article will contain some spoilers for Sonic Mania, so if you’re waiting for the PC version, see you next week]
You know how some people have these phrases that they use to try and articulate their feelings? Especially when it comes to Sonic games? Well today we’re going to look at one of them; this one:
“I want the villain to be ‘a true threat to Sonic”
Continue reading The Spin: The Notion of ‘A True Threat To Sonic’
Sonic On The Road: Playing Mania on Nintendo Switch
Sonic Mania has officially released on a number of home consoles, but perhaps the most interesting release has to be on Nintendo’s newly-launched Switch platform. With its home-portable hybrid design, it makes it relatively easy to play the latest Sonic platformer on the move. So, a couple of our TSS reporters went walkies with their Switches to see if the experience was any good. Some of them found a pretty blurry line between the real world and the Sonic world… be careful out there, Switch users. Continue reading Sonic On The Road: Playing Mania on Nintendo Switch
Sonic Mania ‘Drawn Back to the 90s’ Competition: THE WINNERS
WOW! Last week, we asked you all to ‘draw like a 90s kid’ to celebrate Sonic Mania’s launch tomorrow, and boy have we been bowled over by the humungous response (and amazing talent)! It seems like everyone’s nostalgia-bone has been well and truly tickled. Let’s take a look at the winners – and some honourable mentions – below! Continue reading Sonic Mania ‘Drawn Back to the 90s’ Competition: THE WINNERS
TSS REVIEW: Sonic Mania
Note: This review qualifies as ‘spoiler free’, but it does contain information on stages, gameplay elements and story concepts that have already been made public by official SEGA marketing channels. Be aware, if you’ve been on a total media blackout.
In the middle of Sonic Mania’s main adventure mode, Sonic is warped to the Little Planet and finds himself in a spectacularly familiar place. Golden speakers line a series of curvy narrow chutes that catapult our blue hero into the sky, against a starlit backdrop. Continue reading TSS REVIEW: Sonic Mania
