Yes, seriously. Sonic Generations is 95% off it’s MSRP on Steam right now, so you’d better act quickly! In fact, many other Sonic games are available for a ridiculously low price.
Microsoft’s Offering The Sonic Movie And Sonic Mania For Just $13 Until June 15th
Microsoft has got an interesting offer for Sonic fans out there, especially if you’re still planning to check out the new Sonic movie. Until June 15th, you can get the Sonic Movie for just $12.99 as part of the Gamer Flicks Sale. Doing so will also net you a free downloadable copy of Sonic Mania.
Continue reading Microsoft’s Offering The Sonic Movie And Sonic Mania For Just $13 Until June 15th
Sonic sale going on Nintendo Eshop. Prices up to 50% off
If you’re looking to complete your Sonic collection on 3DS or Switch, Sega has you covered.
From May 17th to the 26th, a huge library of Sonic games are on sale on the Nintendo eShop. The games include the following…
SWITCH
Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – $39.99
Sonic Forces – $9.99
Sonic Mania (Standard) – $9.99
Team Sonic Racing – $19.99
SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog – $5.99
SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $5.99
Nintendo 3DS
Sonic Generations – $9.99
Sonic Lost World – $9.99
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal – $9.99
Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice – $9.99
3D Sonic the Hedgehog – $2.99
3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $2.99
Prices reflect the U.S. Eshop.
Sonic Mania LEGO Design Builds Its Path Towards Official Approval
Just as Sonic Mania itself is a fan labor of love made official, Toastergrl’s Sonic Mania LEGO design continues its trek towards becoming an officially licensed LEGO set. Today, 2020’s first period of LEGO Ideas crowd support ends, and Toastergrl’s design was among an unprecedented 26 designs to reach the 10,000 supporters needed for official consideration. LEGO Ideas will announce their final determinations this Fall.
The roughly 700-brick design features a classic take on the Lego Dimensions Sonic minifig facing off against brick-built Dr. Eggman with his Egg Robot mech and Hard Boiled Heavies, all complimenting several iconic Green Hill Zone level features.
The path for a LEGO Ideas design to become an official set is a long and difficult one, with only three to five approved each year. After achieving the required 10,000 supporters on ideas.lego.com, candidates must go through an internal review process to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of the project. Competition will be especially tight this year, as the number of successfully supported candidates is more than double compared to previous evaluation periods. Other licensed and unlicensed projects being considered include a 17th century-styled train station, the Gemini spacecraft, a micro-scale recreation of 4th century Rome, a 15 inch (39 cm) tall functional globe, the garden from Untitled Goose Game, a detailed model of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, an articulated model of The Iron Giant, and the Planet Express office and ship from Futurama.
Details and additional renders of the design can be found on its LEGO Ideas page, and in TSS’s March 2019 interview with Toastergrl. With some luck, hope, and enthusiasm, perhaps we shall see Sonic Mania alongside other brilliant fan developed LEGO creations in 2021.
Sonic Mania Free For Xbox Live Gold Members This Weekend
Got an Xbox One and Xbox Live, but not Sonic Mania? Well, that’ll change briefly this weekend, because Sonic Mania will be a part of Xbox Live’s Free Play Days from now through Sunday at 11:59 PM PDT. Continue reading Sonic Mania Free For Xbox Live Gold Members This Weekend
Woodwork Artist Creates a Sonic Mania Mega Drive Cartridge And Now We Really Want One
What do you do in the middle of a virus-related lockdown? Exercise (indoors)? Comfort eat? Play games? Or get creative? We’re thinking that one talented woodwork artist has been doing a lot of the latter, as he showed the world a custom Sonic Mania-themed Mega Drive cartridge made entirely out of tree! Continue reading Woodwork Artist Creates a Sonic Mania Mega Drive Cartridge And Now We Really Want One
Steam & Humble Bundle Offer Sonic Fans Superb Savings With Week-long Sales
To celebrate the release of the Sonic movie, both Steam and Humble Bundle are offering Sonic games at a steep discount through the next week.
Steam is offering a “Sonic the Hedgehog Ultimate Bundle” an over $250 value, at less than $60, or 76 percent off. The bundle includes the following games:
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
Sonic 3D Blast
Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
Sonic Spinball
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic 3 & Knuckles
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Sonic CD
Sonic Adventure 2 (plus Battle DLC)
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic Lost World
Sonic Generations with Casino Night DLC
Sonic Mania with Encore DLC
Sonic Forces
Team Sonic Racing
The games can also be bought individually. For their individual prices, check out the bundle’s page on Steam.
If you just want deals on the newer games, and if you want some of your money to go to charity, you can check out Humble Bundle, which is having a Sonic week right now. Check it out here!
Sonic Games Get a New Years Sale on Nintendo’s eShop
Nintendo is holding a special New Years eShop sale from today until January 16. Included in the sale are nearly a dozen Sonic titles across both the Switch and 3DS. For the titles on sale and their discounted US prices, check out the list below:
Nintendo Switch
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – $33.99 (was $59.99)
Team Sonic Racing – $19.99 (was $39.99)
SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog – $5.99 (was $7.99)
Sonic Forces – $9.99 (was $19.99)
Sonic Mania – $9.99 (was $19.99)
Nintendo 3DS
Sonic Generations – $9.99 (was $19.99)
Sonic Lost World – $9.99 (was $19.99)
3D Sonic the Hedgehog – $2.99 (was $5.99)
3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – $2.99 (was $5.99)
Sonic Boom Shattered Crystal – $9.99 (was $19.99)
Sonic Boom Fire & Ice – $9.99 (was $19.99)
The sale also includes other SEGA titles, such as the rest of their SEGA AGES line and Valkyrie Chronicles.
In addition to Nintendo’s eShop sale, Sonic Mania is also currently on sale for $9.99 on Sony’s PlayStation Network.
Sonic Decade in Review 2010 – 2019: The Games
Well, that was a decade and a half wasn’t it? So much has changed in the last ten years, it’s difficult to wrap it all up in a very succinct way. But don’t worry, The Sonic Stadium is here to help you remember. Let us take your hand and chuck you down this hellish warp zone we call a Retrospective, and blitz past all the crazy stuff that’s happened since 2010.
Continue reading Sonic Decade in Review 2010 – 2019: The Games
Back Stealth’s Vertebreaker on Kickstarter With Money (and try out the Demo!)
One of SAGE’s hottest showings this year was a little demo for a rather spooky game called Vertebreaker! It’s being developed by Head Cannon, one of the driving forces behind Sonic Mania, and now it’s come to Kickstarter to get a boost in funds to become a full-fledged indie title!
Continue reading Back Stealth’s Vertebreaker on Kickstarter With Money (and try out the Demo!)
Yukio Kusumoto talks about the origins of Sonic Mania Adventures
Comicbook recently sat down with Yukio Kusumoto, producer of the Sonic Mania Adventures and Team Sonic Racing: Overdrive animated shorts. The interview, amongst a treasure trove of other facts, summarized how Sonic Mania came to be.
- The idea came about after the Sonic Boom TV show wrapped up.
- The team wanted to create a short-form companion piece for a game.
- Sonic Mania had recently released and the physical release was up-coming, so the short-form content was made for that.
- Mentions that there are 6 episodes of Sonic Mania Adventures “so far” and that its been a great success.
- Sonic Mania is a game all about nostalgia and they wanted to find a creator who’s all about Sonic. It wasn’t hard to find a fit for the project and eventually they found Tyson Hesse, who’s worked on some Sega projects on and off and was a storyboard artist at the time.
- They wanted to replicate the original world of Sonic, and realize it in the style of a 90’s Saturday morning cartoon. They decided to go with traditional hand-drawn animation.
- They wanted a style close to the game, but is also original and not too polished with a “for the fans, by the fans” feel.
- They worked for months designing the characters and worked closely with Takashi Iizuka, the head of product development.
[EDIT: Tyson Hesse also chimed in on the story via Twitter, also crediting Sonic Social Manager Aaron Webber for his part in the realisation of Sonic Mania Adventures:
He isn’t mentioned here, but the story of Mania Adventures can’t be told without mentioning Aaron Webber, tbh. Without his championing internally for the value of it there wouldn’t have been animation for Sonic social at all.”
Thanks to Aaron and the many unsung heroes of Sonic Mania and beyond! – AT]
He isn't mentioned here, but the story of Mania Adventures can't be told without mentioning Aaron Webber, tbh. Without his championing internally for the value of it there wouldn't have been animation for Sonic social at all. https://t.co/RCeQZIW4sV
— Tyson Hesse (@tyson_hesse) October 17, 2019
For the full interview, check out ComicBook.com.
Sonic Mania minus the DLC coming to retail at GameStop in the US
Well this is certainly an odd one. A listing for Sonic Mania on all platforms, that lacks the Plus DLC, is coming to GameStop stores in the US on November 5th, 2019 for only $20. Continue reading Sonic Mania minus the DLC coming to retail at GameStop in the US
Sonic Mania Programmer Creates New Spooky Platformer “Vertebreaker”
Sonic community veteran and Sonic Mania programmer Simon Thomley aka “Stealth” of Headcannon is working on an original, new 2D platformer reminiscent of the old-school SEGA glory days, and it’s quite a spooky one!
Continue reading Sonic Mania Programmer Creates New Spooky Platformer “Vertebreaker”
The Official Sonic Art & Design Book To Be Updated With 32 New Pages In Next Reprint
Video game art dealer Cook & Becker have announced that the next reprint of the Official Sonic the Hedgehog Art & Design Book will feature 32 pages of new content from Sonic Mania, Sonic Forces, and Team Sonic Racing. First released in 2016 as part of Sonic’s 25th anniversary, the book originally only went as far as releases from that year.
Cook & Becker hinted at this last week, leaving many to speculate that Sonic Mania would be receiving its own art book. However, according to the company’s twitter account, there would not have been enough content from the game to fill out its own art book, so they decided to update their 25th anniversary art book instead.
The updated book can be pre-ordered off of their website for $39.99 (plus $12.50 for shipping), and is currently scheduled to ship sometime in November.
They released some samples of the new pages, which you can check out in the gallery below:
Are Cook & Becker Teasing A Sonic Mania Art Book?
Video game art dealers Cook & Becker have teased an image of the Mighty the Armadillo artwork from Sonic Mania alongside concept sketches from the animatics, in what looks to be a brand-new Sonic the Hedgehog art book!
Continue reading Are Cook & Becker Teasing A Sonic Mania Art Book?
Anniversary Sales On Sonic Titles Via Nintendo eShop, XBox Live, Playstation Store
Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony have announced a “Sonic Anniversary sale“ on digital downloads via the eShop, Playstation Store, and XBox live for Sonic the Hedgehog titles, including Team Sonic Racing!
Continue reading Anniversary Sales On Sonic Titles Via Nintendo eShop, XBox Live, Playstation Store
Unofficial Sonic Fact Book Appears To Plagiarise Text From Fan Sites, Uses Fan Art
Eagle-eyed Badnik Mechanic Dave Luty on Twitter has spotted something amiss with an Unofficial Sonic the Hedgehog fact book “We Love Sonic”, set for release through Carlton Books this summer.
Continue reading Unofficial Sonic Fact Book Appears To Plagiarise Text From Fan Sites, Uses Fan Art
Sonic Mania and Two SEGA Collections on Sale on the Humble Store!
Are you still slacking on getting your hands on Sonic Mania? Feeling like reliving those other SEGA classics? If you’ve been waiting for a sale, now’s the time. Humble Bundle has the PC versions of a number of SEGA classics: Sonic Mania is at a pretty significant 66% discount, with SEGA Mega Drive Classics and Dreamcast Collection both at an astounding 75% during Humble’s Retro Paradise event! But you’ll need to grab your power sneakers, because this isn’t a permanent price drop.
Continue reading Sonic Mania and Two SEGA Collections on Sale on the Humble Store!
Sonic Mania is Speeding Its Way to PlayStation Plus in June
Have you played Sonic Mania yet? If not, what’s keeping you!? It’s been hailed as one of the best Sonic platformers to date, and soon it’ll be available for free on PlayStation Plus! Continue reading Sonic Mania is Speeding Its Way to PlayStation Plus in June
Tee Lopes and Jun Senoue Remix ‘Theme of Knuckles’ for Sonic Mania Adventures
Sonic Mania Adventures is surely the gift that keeps on giving – as Jun Senoue has today unveiled a brand new retro-inspired remix to complement the awesome series of animated shorts. Continue reading Tee Lopes and Jun Senoue Remix ‘Theme of Knuckles’ for Sonic Mania Adventures
Sonic Mania PC Could Be Getting An Update to Remove Denuvo DRM
If SEGA’s insistence on using DRM software Denuvo on the PC version of Sonic Mania has been getting you down, then you may be in for a treat. It’s looking likely that an incoming official update will soon patch the troublesome tech entirely from the game.
Continue reading Sonic Mania PC Could Be Getting An Update to Remove Denuvo DRM
Watch Donald Duck Go Quackers in This Hilarious Sonic Mania PC Mod
We’ve seen some interesting Sonic game mods in our time, but this one takes us right back to our childhood – one plucky PC hacker is reworking Sonic Mania Plus to include famous Disney characters, turning the high-paced platformer into something reminiscent of the 1992 Mega Drive classic World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.
Continue reading Watch Donald Duck Go Quackers in This Hilarious Sonic Mania PC Mod
Mighty and Ray Figures Included In JAKKS Pacific Toy line
With New York Toy Fair in full swing this weekend, the news on new Sonic the Hedgehog toys has come thick and fast – and it looks like the new JAKKS Pacific toy line up will include the first ever official Ray and Mighty figures!
Continue reading Mighty and Ray Figures Included In JAKKS Pacific Toy line
Sonic Mania Team Form New Game Studio
Christian Whitehead today announced via Twitter the formation of a brand new “boutique” game studio, Evening Star Studio. Continue reading Sonic Mania Team Form New Game Studio
Rock Out to the Sonic Mania Adventure Remix of Big Arms
Time to get metal! SEGA today release the first of five remixes featured in the Sonic Mania Adventure cartoon series, commencing with a guitar-driven version of the “Big Arms” theme from Sonic 3 / Sonic & Knuckles, rearranged and performed by Sonic Sound Director Jun Senoue and Sonic Mania composer Tee Lopes. Continue reading Rock Out to the Sonic Mania Adventure Remix of Big Arms
Humble Bundle offering new 11 game Sonic bundle
Whether you’re feeling charitable this holiday season, or just want a bunch of Sonic games for super cheap, Humble Bundle has an offer for Sonic fans: the Humble Sonic Bundle. The money given to this bundle will go to Extra Life, Save the Children, the Willow Foundation, and Access Sport. Alternatively, your money can also be given to any charity in Humble Bundle’s database.
Anyone who’s able to give at least $1 to charity will receive the following games on Windows through Steam:
- Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
- Sonic Adventure DX
- Sonic Adventure 2 (with Battle DLC)
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
- Sonic CD
For those who have a little more to spend, the following games can be had for the current donation average of $7.20:
- Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Collection
- Sonic Lost World
- Sonic Generation Collection
- Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2
And finally, for anyone who wants to more than double their donation to $15, they can get the latest games, including:
- Sonic Mania
- Sonic Forces
The bundle will be available from now until the end of the year. You can check it out here.
Sonic Talk 55: Funko Pooped
In this month’s Sonic Talk, we talk about Shenmue and how sometimes nostalgia isn’t enough. More on Team Sonic Racing, our final thoughts on Sonic Mania Plus, the Sonic movie, GX’s distain for Funko Pops and much, much more! Continue reading Sonic Talk 55: Funko Pooped
Sonic Talk 54: Party of Four
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
Modder Discovers ‘Vape Mode’ Music Cheat in Sonic Mania Plus
This week has been a busy week for Mania discoveries, following on from the discovery of various cheat codes, modders have been busy finding new discoveries hidden within Mania’s code. Continue reading Modder Discovers ‘Vape Mode’ Music Cheat in Sonic Mania Plus
Sonic Mania Plus Proves Popular In UK on Nintendo Switch
Following the worldwide release of Sonic Mania Plus last week, the first data indicates that the Nintendo Switch version accounted for 52% of all sales in the UK last week. The PS4 version accounted for 34% while the Xbox One version made up the remainder.
Continue reading Sonic Mania Plus Proves Popular In UK on Nintendo Switch
Sonic Mania Cheat Codes Discovered!
Sonic Mania Plus continues to surprise players in many ways with small references and nods. But now fans have discovered that the game also includes cheat codes! Yes actual cheat codes, remember them? We used to have them before DLC became a thing.
A series of cheat codes have been discovered which work across all versions of the game, we’re unsure if you need the full plus DLC to get these to work or if they will work on a fully patched vanilla version of Sonic Mania, so give it a try anyway.
From what we understand, they do not work on Encore mode, and some codes only work for Sonic.
To enable the codes, you need to do the following.
Enter Mania Mode and go to ‘No Save’.
You now need to enter the code for the level select.
- PS4: Hold Square, Select No save.
- Xbox: Hold X, Select No save.
- Switch: Hold Y, Select No save.
You will now be at the level select.
Go to sound test and play the following sounds to enable the desired code.
- 3 3 3 1 9 7 9 0 8 1 1 – Changes all animals into Squirrels.
- 4 1 2 6 – All Emeralds
- 1 9 9 2 1 1 2 4 – Infinite Continues
- 2 0 1 8 0 6 2 3 – Force Encore Mode
- 1 9 8 9 0 5 0 1 – Unknown
- 2 0 1 7 0 8 1 5 – Super Sonic Flight in normal levels (Don’t need to be Super to trigger it).
- 9 0 0 1 – Max Control For Sonic (Dropdash, Super Peel Out, Insta-Shield)
- 0 0 0 0 6 2 1 4 – Disable Super Music
Some of these codes combine to make interesting effects, for example, if you enable Force Encore Mode and Max Control For Sonic, it’s possible to give the Super Peel Out move to Knuckles and other characters.
Try them yourself and see what happens.
Edit: The person who originally made this discovery has been revealed to be modder CodenameGamma. His Reddit thread details the discovery and includes a few additional details. You can also check out his YouTube channel which also contains a number of interesting finds and discoveries.
Report: ‘Bloated’ Denuvo DRM Causing Issues With Sonic Mania Plus on PC
Sonic Mania Plus may have brought back classic characters Ray and Mighty from the dead, but on PC the expansion pack appears to have also revived the gameplay-destroying horror of Digital Rights Management software Denuvo. Continue reading Report: ‘Bloated’ Denuvo DRM Causing Issues With Sonic Mania Plus on PC
Sonic Mania Adventures Part 5: The Finale!
To celebrate the release of Sonic Mania Plus, the conclusion of Sonic Mania Adventures is now out for your viewing pleasure!
Will Sonic and Tails be able to defeat Dr. Eggman? Will Ray and Mighty showdown with Metal Sonic? Will Knuckles ever retrieve the Master Emerald? Check out the finale below!
You can also watch all 5 episodes back-to-back:
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
Sonic Mania Plus’s Nineties Style Infomercial
In true social media style, the Sonic community team have created an homage to the commercials of old with this 90’s-style advert, pitching Sonic Mania Plus against the not-so-fictional parody game “Finger GunZ” (I actually want to play Finger GunZ now).
In a world full of first-person shooter games, one game store customer has a choice to make.
(Sonic Mania Plus comes out TOMORROW!) pic.twitter.com/vElD6tqCqm
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) July 16, 2018
Those with sharp eyes will notice that the dodgy salesman is none-other than internet loony Keith Apicary! If you’ve not seen the original Genesis vs. SNES advert, catch it below!
Sonic Mania Plus officially releases tomorrow (Tuesday, 17th of July, 2018) across multiple platforms.
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
