Sonic 1 & 2 : Taxman & Stealth Edition; coming to iOS/Android, most likely consoles too ("BUY THESE" - Retro)

[YoshiAngemon]

So it sounds like we won't be seeing a S3&K Remastered anytime soon, unless of course Sega is waiting until the 25th Anniversary to reveal something. =/

You mean like an HD Remastered Edition, done in conjunction with WayForward, with fluently animated sprites, drawn by hand, and the PC Music that would make the Michael Jackson involvement null and void?

[Milo]

So this has been posted on the official Sega Blog (thanks to TCB mentioning it in the statuses)...

 

 

 

At SEGA we are committed to making fun, high-quality mobile games and it is with our fans’ best playing experience in mind that we announce the removal of a number of games from our back catalogue. It is important for us to ensure that all of our fans, regardless of platform or operating system, have a great playing experience and after evaluating our complete list of titles, we have determined that a number of them no longer meet our standards. As a result, we will be removing these titles from the App Store for Apple devices, the Google Play Store, the Samsung App Store and the Amazon App Store over the next few weeks. While we have nothing to announce at this time, given the right situation, these titles may return in an updated form.

 

If you have already purchased a game that is being removed from the store you will be able to continue to play it after it’s been taken down. It will remain in your purchased apps where you will be able to download it again if you delete it or acquire a new device until the game becomes incompatible with the latest phone operating systems or hardware.

 

Thank you to all our customers for sharing what they love about our games and helping us to continue to improve everything we make.

[PickleBrows]

I think Sonic 1, 2 and CD are likely to be safe. I mean, really, how much more quality could be put into them? Any bugs/problems have been promptly dealt with by StealthTax and any delay on getting the fixes out to people is on Sega's end.

 

The Sonic 4 episodes could possibly headed for the scrapyard even though both still run on Android as far as I know.

 

I really don't think Sonic is their focus here. If he is, I'd be pointing towards Dash and Jump rather than the classics.

[Blue Blood]

I swear if Sonic 4 doesn't get the boot...

S1 and S2 should be removed if they were the pre-StealthTax versions, but now they're guaranteed to besafe. CD obviously isn't budging either.

But you know would be a great way to fill the space left by the games they're removing? S3K. Just sayin'

[TheOcelot]

RIP Sonic 4 Ep1.  

 

 

I hope Ep2 stays on the store. I'm fortune in that the version of Ep2 for my android phone plays fine, but yeah, a lot of the other versions are shit and the mobile version of Ep1 needs to die.

 

Oh and if it is Sonic 4 then this...

 

given the right situation, these titles may return in an updated form.

 

.....is never gonna happen.

[Sean]

Does the Android version of Chu Chu Rocket play fine? That's probably the only other Sega app I was thinking of getting

[Osmium]

So it sounds like we won't be seeing a S3&K Remastered anytime soon, unless of course Sega is waiting until the 25th Anniversary to reveal something. =/

 

This makes me feel empty inside. 

[Autosaver]

Taxman's games were never updated for iPhone 6/6+. It's possible they could get removed as a result of that.

 

It's been something I've been complaining about since November. Apparently Taxman actually sent out an update to SEGA but they never bothered sending it out. Someone should take a hammer to SEGA's mobile department.

[Tenko]

That's not true, I live in New Zealand and our iOS store had an update for Sonic, Sonic 2 and Sonic CD on the 29th of April that added iPhone 6/6+ support to all three games. If the remasters get removed I would be rather shocked as these are some of the only smart phone games by Sega that are still getting support and updates.

Stealth/Tax should have been hired full time over whoever handles the rest of Sega's smart phone products, they follow up any issues pretty quick smart. Its Sega themselves that continually drop the ball with the updates. I mean the issues and lack of updates for the newer stuff like Sonic 4 was just plain mental. They had nobody on those games, or if they did then they were terrible at their jobs >.<

[Autosaver]

OMG YOU"RE RIGHT.

 

Fucking finally. Why does it take almost 8 months to push an update?

[goku262002]

OMG YOU"RE RIGHT.

 

Fucking finally. Why does it take almost 8 months to push an update?

Dude that was front page news, I didn't message you because honestly I thought you would've seen it.

It was SEGA's fault, who knows why it took soo long but it may have been something about a major bug breaking the games and SEGA asking Tax to make a patch, he just threw in all the hotfixes that were needed to be made and sent it again.

[TheOcelot]

Since the recent update I've noticed that the soundtest in Sonic 1's level select no longer works (on my S4 galaxy android). When I press the button on the soundtest to play a music track it doesn't play the music and automatically jumps 10 places forward (from 00 to 10). If I then press the soundtest button again it jumps 10 places backwards (from 10 back to 00) and there is still no sound. If you keep pressing the soundtest button it keeps jumping 10 places forward and then 10 places back again respectively.

 

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

Sonic 2's soundtest still works fine for me. 

[Ripe]

Since the recent update I've noticed that the soundtest in Sonic 1's level select no longer works (on my S4 galaxy android). When I press the button on the soundtest to play a music track it doesn't play the music and automatically jumps 10 places forward (from 00 to 10). If I then press the soundtest button again it jumps 10 places backwards (from 10 back to 00) and there is still no sound. If you keep pressing the soundtest button it keeps jumping 10 places forward and then 10 places back again respectively.

 

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

Sonic 2's soundtest still works fine for me.

I have same problem in my Galaxy tab4.

Otherwise the game work fine

[baba_944]

Does the Android version of Chu Chu Rocket play fine? That's probably the only other Sega app I was thinking of getting

I have it and it's great. Absolutely no flaws. Get it.

[TheOcelot]

If you're wondering what's happening with the Sonic 3 remastered campaign then I suggest you read this:

 

http://hcstealth.tumblr.com/post/123411796697/patreon-vs-sonic-3-remastered

 

Sonic 3&K isn't getting a new release anytime soon.

[Tenko]

Looks like Sega's new "listen to the fans" and "rebuilding trust with the old guard" recent PR apology isn't off to a good start huh >.<

[Milo]

To be fair on the topic of 3emastered, the writing was on the wall back when Taxman and Stealth had to present it as a PoC for Sega to pick up, rather than it simply being greenlit from the start. The rumored legal issues and the other unrelated thing that prompted Stealth to put the campaign on hold (it turned out to be nothing) were just roadblocks in front of a brick wall.

[Gabz Girl]

Looks like Sega's new "listen to the fans" and "rebuilding trust with the old guard" recent PR apology isn't off to a good start huh >.<

 

Exactly what I was thinking, which is why I said in the other topic that Sega seriously needs to convince me that they WILL change for the better.

 

Looks like it's not working, especially when you're being so bloody iffy about S3&K. Seriously, what is going on with this game?

[YoshiAngemon]

Let's just settle for the PC Music redone in Genesis style. It renders the need for any copyrights to be infringed, even with Michael Jackson dead.

[Your Vest Friend]

Legal troubles are hardly something that a change in focus and quality would mitigate. :/

[YoshiAngemon]

Well, in any case, there's already versions of Sonic 3 & Knuckles available on XBLA and on Steam. I think SEGA would rather you just buy those versions to justify its profitability.

[Jango]

Oh, I remember when this was announced in 2013 and for most of the first pages people were excited saying that if Sonic 1 and 2 were a sucess like CD we would certainly see a Sonic 3 remastered.... It's all a memory of a distant dream now... I'm not saying it would -never- happen, but at this point, I've already lost most of hope.

All I want at this point is a definitive closure from SEGA, of America and Japan: what exactly IS up with Sonic 3? Is it JUST music issue? Does ST have a pet peeve with this game? Or it's simple lack of faith because it sold less than 1 and 2 back in the day?

[TheChris110]

Maybe SEGA plans a Sonic Collection for next year (because anniversary + the classics aren't on current gen yet) and Sonic 3 Remastered would be in the way?

 

Or SEGA of Japan or maybe even Sonic Team sees Stealth/Taxman as rivals? Or maybe they just disliked the changes made by them?

 

Or SEGA thinks that these Remastered versions take too much effort and they can make more money if they release the original ROMs. Hmm...

[Drunk Michael Myers]

Or SEGA thinks that these Remastered versions take too much effort and they can make more money if they release the original ROMs. Hmm...

I actually dug up my old 360 the other day and played Sonic & Knuckles. The soundquality in that port is horrid. If they plan to re-release anything Genesis again, i hope Backbones stays far away from that project. The Genesis Collection on PSP and PS3 has the same problem. Also by Backbone.

[TheChris110]

I like 3D Sonic the Hedgehog for 3DS. Sadly the spindash is flawed but other than that it's flawless. That's also the reason I'm looking forward to 3D Sonic 2. :)