The all-new classic Sonic compilation comes out June 23, 2022

A few days ago, we had some speculation that we would soon be hearing more about the upcoming compilation of classic sonic the hedgehog titles. Our prediction that news and a release date would be coming soon, turned out to be true. Sega announced through a new trailer, their website, and on their official accounts, that the game would be coming on June 23rd. In addition to the release date, more interesting details have been confirmed for the collection.

The Developers

As previously announced, the versions of; Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, in the collection have been re-made from the ground up to support widescreen. As speculated by fans, all four games are running on the Retro / Star Engine, the same one used for Sonic Mania. Origin’s versions of Sonic 1, 2 and CD will be the same as the fan-favourite mobile versions of those games, now on console and PC. In addition, Sonic 3 and Knuckles has been remade for the first time in the Star Engine. The work for this remake was done by Co-Lead Developer for Sonic Mania and the Sonic 1, and 2 remakes, Stealth, along with the rest of the team at his company, Headcannon.

Both fans and the developers seem excited by the prospect of the entire original trilogy, and CD, all at last being available in widescreen, with the best performance and additional features. Whilst the remaking of Sonic 3 & Knuckles has been handled externally by Headcannon, the compilation itself is being built internally at Sega. And there appear to be a number of surprise extra features to be found.

Headcannon is proud to announce that we have been working with @Sega to re-create Sonic 3 & Knuckles for their upcoming #SonicOrigins collection!

This completes the official "Remastering" of the mainline classics and marks our fourth time out with #SonictheHedgehog!

— Headcannon (@Head_cannon) April 20, 2022

Extra Features

The collection boasts both classic modes, and ‘anniversary’ modes of each of the games in the collection, allowing players to choose whether they play the updated versions, or original emulations of the games. Whilst playing in anniversary mode, lives will become a thing of the past, and are to be replaced by ‘coins’. These special coins are said to unlock extra features outside of the main games in the bonus menus. Extras such as concept art, videos, missions that have you tackling certain challenges within the game, and even a mirror-mode where you can play the games flipped.

There is also said to be a ‘story mode’ where players will be sent through the four games in chronological order. From sonic 1, to CD, to 2, and then to 3 and Knuckles (seemingly ending debates over which came first between CD and 2). All new animated cutscenes will punctuate the start and end of each game as well. These animations have been written by the franchises longest running comics writer, and writer for the upcoming Sonic Frontiers game, Ian Flynn. Meanwhile, animation for the cutscenes have been handled by Tyson Hesse and his team. Hesse being one of the individuals responsible for the popular Sonic Mania Adventures shorts released onto Youtube, as well as the far more well received re-design for the Movie Sonic, after the studio scrapped the original nightmare.

Screenshots from the game show that the backgrounds to its menus are charming 3D recreations of the islands upon which the classic games take place. All the extra additions to the presentation of the games, seem to be going a long way to making Sonic Origins more than just a simple collection.

Coming June 23rd

Pre-orders for the compilation have gone live, to mixed reception from the fans. A strange collection of minor cosmetic features have been seemingly withheld from the base game release, only available to those who pre-order or who purchase the Digital Deluxe version. This information was presented to fans through a bafflingly clunky chart to top it off.

Despite this, the collection is still set to be the definitive way to play Sonic the Hedgehog’s most celebrated titles, and will provide an easy entry point for new fans who have come from the movies.

Sonic Origins comes out on June 23rd. In the meantime, the franchise’s last remaster Sonic Colours Ultimate came out last year, and its brand-new open world adventure, Sonic Frontiers is set for release later in 2022.

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The post Sonic Origins – Details and Release Date Announced first appeared on Get2Gaming.

Updates on the new compilation of classic Sonic the Hedgehog games could be coming soon

The run down

The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is set to have quite a busy year in 2022. Following the impressive opening weekend for it’s live action theatrical film sequel, two more video game projects and a new TV series are still on the horizon. Back in May of 2021, Sega hosted an online ‘Sonic Central’ event, announcing and teasing many upcoming products. Among the revelations was the now released, Sonic Colours Ultimate, and teased a next-gen Sonic game, which would later become known as Sonic Frontiers, after last year’s game awards.

However, also unveiled was the Sonic Origins compilation. A collection of 5 iconic classic sonic games from the Sega Mega Drive (or Genesis), including: Sonic the Hedgehog 1, Sonic the hedgehog 2, Sonic 3, Sonic and Knuckles, and Sonic CD. Not much has been heard about this upcoming collection since the initial announcement, leading some fans to speculate about what could be going on behind the scenes. Alas, it looks like the waiting may be coming to an end shortly, after some curious leaks.  As reported by VGC, the Game Rating and Administration Committee of South Korea has granted the PC version of Sonic Origins an All Ages rating.

Mere days later, what seems like Key Art for the game was leaked to twitter after having been allegedly uploaded onto Playstation Network’s CDN servers. In the art, fans can see the main trio of heroes, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles, with Metal Sonic, Amy, and Eggman behind them. The logo for Sonic Origins is shown on the left side of the image, next to the characters.

All this new information at once can only suggest that an announcement may be coming sooner rather than later. But aside from a release date, what more is there to learn?

Sonic Origins cover image leaked via PSN #SonicOrigins #SonicTheHedgehoghttps://t.co/TgqX18MHEN pic.twitter.com/U59s0PS4tI

— GBAtemp (@GBAtemp) April 18, 2022

Further details

Though details are still scarce, a few pieces of interesting information on the compilation have been shared. As confirmed by the head of Sonic Team, and the brand’s social media manager, all five games will be remade from the ground up to be presented in widescreen, and will not be simple emulation jobs. This opens the door for additional content and features, or extended options being made available for these classic games. This will also mark the first time that Sonic 3 and Knuckles has ever been officially playable in widescreen.

Due to the footage used in the initial trailer, some fans speculated the games could be running in the ‘Retro’ (now ‘Star’) Engine, created by the lead developer of critically acclaimed Sonic Mania, Christian Whitehead. Whitehead led the development of the mobile ports for Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic CD, which were rebuilt from the ground up in his engine. These ports received praise from the fanbase due to their higher resolution, smooth performance, and additional features. However, only the port of Sonic CD ever made it to consoles, leaving the fan-favourite versions of the first two games, confined to mobile.

The long wait to play these classics on modern consoles in widescreen definition may be soon coming to an end. But, whether or not they will boast the same modern features, or even additional features to the ones enjoyed by mobile gamers, remains to be seen. Christian Whitehead, and many other Sonic Mania alumni, appear to be hard at work on the first project for their new studio, Evening Star.

Now that the Sonic 2 Movie has released, we should expect to hear more news on Sonic Origins, Sonic Frontiers and Sonic Prime, in the near future.

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The post Sonic Origins Key Art Discovered first appeared on Get2Gaming.

The EDM artist and DJ is hosting a Sonic-themed concert at the end of the month to honour its anniversary

From Kirby music to Sonic music…

Sonic has already had a spectacular year so far. For its 30th anniversary, everybody’s favourite blue hedgehog received a Minecraft DLC, a LEGO set, confirmation of a new Netflix show, Sonic Colors: Ultimate and more recently, became the first non-Capcom IP to receive a DLC in Monster Hunter Rise.

Yet it’s still not enough to celebrate the impact Sonic has had in the gaming industry, and EDM artist and DJ Steve Aoki will be honouring Sonic in a virtual concert dedicated to the SEGA franchise.

Sonic-themed Concert

Steve Aoki will be hosting a 60-minute set on November 30 at 8 PM GMT as another celebration to honour Sonic’s birthday. The virtual concert will be streamed live on the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube and Twitch channels for fans to tune in from around the world.

The setlist will consist of Steve Aoki’s original songs, as well as fan-favourite classics from Sonic’s 16-bit era to the present day and will take place in a virtual environment featuring various landscapes from Sonic games including the Green Hill Zone and Chemical Plant Zone.

If you’re wondering if Aoki is right for the job, he’s what he had to say regarding what Sonic means to him:

 

The best Sonic game is definitely the OG Sonic the Hedgehog. That’s the game that started it all for me. That’s the game I was most obsessed with, and I just remember putting it in the Genesis console and just rocking out.

“My favourite song from Sonic the Hedgehog is definitely Stardust Speedway. That’s why I remixed it: when I hear it, it brings me back to when I was a kid playing the game. – Steve Aoki, Behind the Scenes.

 

Steve Aoki’s virtual concert will be the second musical performance to celebrate the 30th anniversary after SEGA hosted a 90-minute concert on Sonic’s actual birthday.

Don’t miss the Sonic-themed virtual concert on November 30!

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The post Sonic the Hedgehog: Steve Aoki to Perform Virtual Sonic-themed Concert first appeared on Get2Gaming.