Sonic Unleashed reboots series, ignores last two games

by Scott Jon Siegel { Apr 9th 2008 at 2:00PM }

Thanks to Batman Begins, we're now all familiar with the concept of "rebooting" a series -- ignoring one or more of its previous installments to start over with a clean slate. Sega's apparently familiar with the concept as well, as Sonic Unleashed has "no relation" to either Sonic the Hedgehog on PS3 and 360, or Sonic and the Secret Rings, and will instead be more like a Sonic Adventure 3, only with more hulkhogs.

Official Nintendo Magazine talked with lead designer Yoshihisa Hashimoto about the direction of the new title, and learned that the team went back to square one with both the design and engine for the game. The game is said to be comparable to the aging Sonic Adventure games, albeit with a few new tricks and hopefully improved platforming. Regarding the hulkhog, Hashmito reveals that Sonic's altered form controls more slowly (duh), but can knock objects out of the way rather than dodging, and propels himself forward Donkey Kong-style with massive forearms used to swing across the ground.

We're all for rebooting the series, but we personally hope that Unleashed shares more in common with Sonic's pre-Adventure titles, rather than the character-laden, awkward-camera experiences in the Dreamcast outings.

Tags: sega, sonic, sonic-unleashed

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 9th 2008 2:02PM

Sonic and the Secret Rings is a nice game... it's currently the best 3D Sonic.

ThePremierAssassin @ Apr 9th 2008 2:04PM

Damnit Fernando! I wanted to be first...:(

I didn't get the Secret Rings game. I just didn't think it would be play well with the Wiimote to be honest.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 2:17PM

It's alright but you play a level and enjoy it, good job. But before you move on, you have to play the level again... but this time, smash all the pots. Next, dodge all the p[ots. Now a time trial.

It's another game that was ruined pandering to people who bitch about a game that's fun, but short.

KeenCommander @ Apr 9th 2008 2:39PM

Actually, Fernando, Sonic Robo Blast 2 is the best 3D Sonic game. www.srb2.org

SEGA should seriously hire these guys, Sonic Team Jr. knows how to make Sonic in 3D better than the actual Sonic Team does.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 3:12PM

Actually, if Sega is anything like Square, Nintendo, and others, Sonic Team Jr better hope they stay under the radar lest lawsuits come their way...

ssuk @ Apr 9th 2008 3:25PM

Sonic Adventure 2 proves Fernando wrong.

Ghen @ Apr 9th 2008 3:41PM

I liked secret rings and I liked the replay value. I didn't like when it got impossibly gran turismo style hard.

I think I put about 25-30 hours into it all told.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 3:42PM

Nope, Sonic Adventure 2 currently proves Fernando right...

Rouge the Bat FTL xo============>|

KeenCommander @ Apr 9th 2008 3:43PM

@Sir Fidilious Wong: You're right, though it seems as though SEGA isn't like that since there's many fangames and there's been no problems so far. Still, I suppose if it got popular enough then they'd go after them. Who did Nintendo shut down?

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 3:51PM

Nintendo shut me down x(

Seriously. I announced on my deviant art page that I was going to make a new 3D Donkey Kong remake except I'd have theme skins which could be applied and updated gameplay. I showed off some concept art of "Cabinet Classic"(Mario and characters based off the original cabinet artwork), "8 Bits", and "Emo Scene" character reworks. Before I could finish modeling the Cabinet Classic Mario, I had a note through my account from Nintendo requesting I cease and desist the project.

Nintendo shut down a few reworks, actually. Because I had a friend who got his letter while working on a cel shade style (prerendered art) rework of the original Kirby.

Mills and Boom @ Apr 9th 2008 3:57PM

Fernando you are right. Maybe.

I just haven't bothered with 3D Sonics for such a long time. Got a DC a few years back and played some of the Cube 3D sonics before declaring the bastard dead.

The DS Sonics are a bit terrible too. I blame the altered Sonic physics just there to mess things up.

Mr Khan @ Apr 9th 2008 4:16PM

Secret Rings most glaring mistake was the fact that it deliberately retarded (yes, appropriate term, the PC police don't have to go nuts) the game's mostly brilliant (damn reversing mechanism) controls by making you unlock better controls in an EXP-styled system

If Secret Rings had had the optimum controls from the start, all its metacritic scores would've been upped by 20%, easily, it turned off a lot of people who only played a short instance of it

ThePremierAssassin @ Apr 9th 2008 2:02PM

Umm I know I'm late to this but what exactly was wrong with the hedgehogs 1st outing on the 360/ps3?

I mean I hear all this bashing of the game but not really any reasons as to WHY it was so bad.

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 9th 2008 2:04PM

I would list all the faults, but Joystiq don't let me exceed more than 2GB per comment.

FOXHOUND @ Apr 9th 2008 2:18PM

LOL Fernando... So, so true! But to explain further, when I *mistakenly* purchased

[loading screen]

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG for PS3(I call it a mistake, because since I wasn't drunk at the time, I can't blame it on inebriation);

[loading screen]

The game was one giant horsepile of load screens, lame story, shoddy & outdated gameplay/graphics and frankly not even worth the

[loading screen]

$10 I paid for it used. SEGA/SONIC TEAM should be ashamed for releasing such a third rate title; especially of its mascot. Which is sad because I

[loading screen]

used to *love* playing previous Sonic games(yes, even Adventure until that jackass Shadow the Hedgehog came about). People nitpick about the loading screen for

[loading screen]

SUPER SMASH BROS BRAWL in the introduction of the game, and I point the finger at Sonic; 'cause his game on the PS3/X360 had horrendous load screen amounts & time.

[loading screen]

Hence the reoccurring joke--- err, reality of that game. :\ Turned me off from playing RIDERS, SECRET RINGS, and even that recent DS game.

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 9th 2008 2:24PM

Oh Foxhound

Sonic Rush Adventures 1 and 2 for the DS are in a totally different categories... those are actually pretty good.

Maverick Saturn @ Apr 9th 2008 2:52PM

They sucked, lol, thats what was wrong.

Tiptup300 @ Apr 9th 2008 3:15PM

Ok, I'll tell you the main reasons why once the comments are loaded...

McWeen @ Apr 9th 2008 2:04PM

Lucky are the dead.

Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 9th 2008 2:05PM

Maybe they should give Sonic guns...

Oh wait...

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 9th 2008 2:07PM

Or maybe they should give him cool transformations... like a wolf or something...

Oh wait...

Raikage (LDF CRAB BATTLE!!!) @ Apr 9th 2008 2:13PM

Maybe give him powers to shoot fire and bees from his hands, and hold wrenches!

Oh wait...

WhatIsThatThing @ Apr 9th 2008 3:54PM

Maybe they should FIND THE COMPUTER ROOM! Right guys? Computer room?

...You know what? Fuck post-Sonic Adventure 2 SEGA.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Apr 9th 2008 5:09PM

If his rings become portals, I'm gonna crap myself.

Shmil (Brawl Code 2621-2310-1994) @ Apr 9th 2008 8:48PM

@ thorned venom
speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out

riggs @ Apr 9th 2008 2:07PM

#$% + &*@ + delete, end process.

riggs @ Apr 9th 2008 2:07PM

...oh wait..oh wait?

riggs @ Apr 9th 2008 2:08PM

and yet again, foiled by the reply button.

inlogic @ Apr 9th 2008 2:09PM

Lol?

Wtf are you whinning on Sonic Adventura on the Dreamcast!? I loved it, and I'm sure lots of people in this blog loved it as well. Though I hated Sonic Adventure 2..

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 9th 2008 2:15PM

I loved the Original Sonic Adventure on Dreamcast as well. I actually borrowed the Dreamcast from my nephew a while back just to play it and an Marvel VS Capcom again. Part 2 wasnt all that good IMO.

Fernando Rocker @ Apr 9th 2008 2:20PM

Hey Fenix...

I can totally beat you in Marvel vs Capcom =p

xFenixKnightx @ Apr 9th 2008 2:26PM

HA!!! Your lucky they havent put it on XBLA or I'd burry you! =P Do you have Super Streetfighter II Turbo? Lets do this!

inlogic @ Apr 9th 2008 2:32PM

Oh, nearly forgot.

inlogic @ Apr 9th 2008 2:33PM

Dreamcast Forever! How I miss 2001 :\

Zertoss @ Apr 9th 2008 2:51PM

Both Sonic Adventure games were pretty good. At this point, I'm ecstatic about a game more akin to SA3.

Mr.ESC @ Apr 9th 2008 3:02PM

The only thing I never liked from the Adventure games were the additional characters, Okay Rouge is passable but seriously Shadow? The dark hedgehog? I mean why they didn't stick with Metal Sonic (Thinking about it Metal Sonic never was badass but you get the point).

Ignatius @ Apr 9th 2008 3:34PM

I don't know.. Metal Sonic on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was impossible.

I had like 30 lives... didn't beat him.

I have no idea why.

Mr.ESC @ Apr 9th 2008 4:11PM

Oh well Metal Madness is f*cking badass.I was talking about Metal Sonic in General.

Microswirl @ Apr 9th 2008 5:20PM

@Ignatius

Here's a tip: fight metal sonic with the sound off. Trust me. I swear that music is some kinda subliminal psychological warfare.

Aludra @ Apr 10th 2008 8:28AM

I miss the old Sonic Adventure games so much...Next to messing around in levels on Sonic 2 with Knuckles, or playing other old games, to me those were so far the last games of Sonic. Sonic Advance did a pretty good job of capturing the old sonic games. Maybe they should learn from Nintendo and reuse everything for their next games, not only does it work, but you keep your fans.

Ninjakamster @ Apr 9th 2008 2:10PM

I dunno about you guys, but I really enjoy Adventure 1 for the Dreamcast and the story mode, even if cheesy. The sequel, not so much.

And the one for 360/PS3 looked so good on videoat E3 before it came out, why did it have to suck so bad? : (

Mr Khan @ Apr 9th 2008 4:26PM

Really? I loved Adventure 2, prolly my favorite Sonic game of all, or at least tied with Sonic & Knuckles

Adventure, however, i found to be rather disjointed. 2 decent-sized stories > 6 short stories

Ninjakamster @ Apr 9th 2008 2:10PM

Ninjakamster @ Apr 9th 2008 2:11PM

Whoops, stupid double reply and I copied inlogic, sorry.

: )

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 9th 2008 2:13PM

That picture implies Sonic & the Secret Rings was shit, which it isn't. It also implies that Sonic the Hedgehog was shit, which it isn't.

The whole tone of the article is weighted towards negativity. Please write objectively, please.

Thank you.

FOXHOUND @ Apr 9th 2008 2:28PM

If you like SONIC THE HEDGEHOG for PS3, you can have my copy. It's currently being used as a beer mug coaster in my living room.

I'm serious.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 9th 2008 3:07PM

:(

I don't have a PS3. My friend does but he's already got the game...

...I'm speaking straight from the heart: both of these games are good. The problems with the PS3/360 versions have been greatly exaggerated - from the time I spent with it.

I have a that if this was a Mario game all of the critics would have been all over it. There'd route inside their dictionaries for grander hyperbolic praise: "Mario is here. Let’s just get everybody together. Let’s get unified. The sky will open. The lights will come down. Celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect".

But because it's Sonic, and it's cool to dislike Sonic, everyone shits on the hog.

Stop shitting on the hog people.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 9th 2008 3:08PM

It's meant to say: if this was a Mario game.

I don't know what happened there.

Maverick Saturn @ Apr 9th 2008 3:15PM

But Mario plays good, 3D sonic is boring, half of the focus on sped is lost and spent walking and smashing boxes and crap, if not, attempting to jump onto something or railslide or some other crap.

Its also got all these pokemon looking creatures and more and more cheezy characters joining the list.

Mario characters I know, they have never changed, but Sonic characters seem to keep coming, how many other coloured Sonic lookalikes could you possibly get in the game, we've had Blue, Red, White, Black and Red, what next, a green sonic lookalike?

On top of that, I find its gotten more childish and stupidly easy to play, Sonic used to be a speed and tactic game, now its just about taking everything out and reaching the end of the level. Bit boring.

Sonic games just aren't as fun as they used to be, to this day I love picking up old sonic games and replaying, new ones I would never touch.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Apr 9th 2008 3:30PM

Oh gosh, I responded to you somewhere else, Saturn. :)

I don't want to get into the childish issue with you again...

...with that said, I don't know what you want.

Do you want new characters or not? New styles of play or the same old?

People are going to bitch anyway. Sonic Team should just ignore the fans and do what they feel is best.

If they ignored the fans then maybe Shadow the Hedgehog wouldn't exist.