SEGADriven is a SEGA news and information source that focuses on SEGA's console history, retro games and new software hitting the shelves. We want to share a love of great, quirky, clever and down-right fun games - something that SEGA have always specialised in. See below for the latest news, reviews and features added to the website.
In an interview composed with Brad Buxer back in May, Brad Buxer confirms that the majority of the music composed for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was actually done by him and not Michael Jackson.
Buxer confirms that Michael Jackson had signed on to compose music for the soundtrack, but the actual writing duties fell to Buxer as he was Jackson’s main songwriting collaborator at the time. Buxer confirms he wrote 41 audio cues for Sonic 3 and Jackson only had input on one of them. He does not specify which song Jackson had input on and he does not specify which of the 41 audio cues ended up in the final game. We know for a fact that Ice Cap Zone was written by Brad Buxer because the melodies line-up with Buxer’s own song Hard Times that he recorded with the band The Jetzons.
Buxer also confirms that writing for the song Stranger in Moscow also came from the same sessions that produced the 41 audio cues for Sonic 3. Stranger in Moscow is often compared to the Sonic 3 credits theme as the songs share a similar chord progression. As this song was written separately from the Sonic 3 audio cues, it is more likely a coincidence that the songs sound similar.
5 other composers are credited for Sonic 3’s music: Bobby Brooks, Darryl Ross, Geoff Grace, Doug Grigsby III and C. Cirocco Jones. This means it is highly unlikely that all of Buxer’s 41 audio cues were used in the final game. You can watch an isolated segment of Brad Buxer’s May 2022 interview with Abbey Road Institute Paris below:
SEGA have revealed the home video release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will feature a brand new animated short film voiced by Ben Schwartz that will follow the events directly after the movie.
Alongside the reveal of the new animated short film, a whole host of additional content has been revealed. The blu-ray and digital release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie will feature deleted scenes, bloopers, behind-the-scenes content and some additional featurettes called Rapid Fire Responses, Robotnik Reimagined, Finding Your Team, A Sibling For Sonic: Tails and The Powerful Puncher: Knuckles.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will release on blu-ray and digital on August 9th 2022.
Remember the Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony concert that debuted online last year? The concert will be returning as a live event starting in October 2022 at the Brazil Game Show in October.
While the show is promised to be similar in scope to the online version, SEGA have promised some “new surprises” for the live event. This news was revealed in the most recent Sonic Central presentation. Further dates have yet to be announced outside the Brazil Game Show, but they are promised to be “coming soon”.
You can watch the original Sonic 30th Anniversary Symphony concert via the embed below:
In the most recent Sonic Central presentation, SEGA have revealed that Shadow the Hedgehog will make an appearance in the upcoming Netflix show, Sonic Prime. Check it out via the embed below:
Sonic Prime is promised to be “coming soon” to Netflix and will mark the first animated Sonic the Hedgehog show since ended in November 2017.
We’ve got a double dose of Sonic Frontiers gameplay footage to look at today. IGN have uploaded an 8 minute gameplay video full of hands-on impressions from Mitchell Saltzman of IGN who’s been given 4 hours of play time with an early build of the game. You can watch this via the embed below:
IGN share a lot of new information about the game in this hands-on. Sonic and friends are transported to the game’s new location through a wormhole and Sonic quickly gets separated from the crew and has to explore the new world himself. Sonic also earns XP which can be spent on new abilities. Areas in the game are also called Open Zones which seems to suggest that the game isn’t entirely open world – focusing more on larger, self-contained areas.
We also get more in-game footage of Sonic Frontiers in action via the most recent Sonic Central video which you can also see via the embed below:
As you can see, more larger enemies are showcased in this footage, as well as different times of day.
We also get the news that Sonic Frontiers will receive a short animated prequel film called Sonic Frontiers Prologue. Sonic Frontiers Prologue will launch before the game’s release later this year.
Sonic Frontiers will launch on PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC in “Holiday 2022”.
Despite being a very late-era Mega Drive release, Comix Zone also got a port to the PC in November 1995. In our latest YouTube video, we take a look at the PC version of Comix Zone and see how it compares to the Mega Drive original. Click the embed below to watch:
IGN’s Sonic Frontiers coverage continues with an extended look at the game’s combat. Click the embed below to watch 6 minutes of in game Sonic Frontiers combat:
Combat appears to be a lot more involved in Sonic Frontiers when compared to previous Sonic games. Mid air combos look similar to Shadow’s combat in Sonic 06, but Sonic also has use of projectiles and a laser-loop like ability that can disarm or launch certain enemies into the air. Enemies are also more alien when compared to the badniks of previous games, and each enemy takes a considerable amount of hits to defeat. We also see combat with a much larger enemy that has to have its individual appendages destroyed one-by-one.
Sonic Frontiers will launch in Holiday 2022 for Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is being developed in house by Sonic Team.
SEGA Japan have revealed the Mega Drive 2 Mini which expands the focus of the original Mega Drive Mini with the inclusion of “Mega CD games, arcade ports, unreleased games and a mysterious new game” according to GSK. 11 games have been revealed so far. See below for the full list:
– Silpheed (Mega-CD)
– Shining Force CD (Mega-CD)
– Sonic CD (Mega-CD)
– Yumemi Mystery Mansion (Mega-CD)
– Popful Mail (Mega-CD)
– Virtua Racing (Mega Drive)
– Bonanza Bros (Mega Drive)
– Shining in the Darkness (Mega Drive)
– Thunder Force IV (Mega Drive)
– Magical Tarurūto-kun (Mega Drive)
– Fantasy Zone (New Mega Drive Port)
The final release is promising 50 games in total and is due to release in Japan on October 27th 2022. The mini console is bundled with a 6 button controller. Also revealed during the stream is an entirely cosmetic Mega-CD 2 for the Mega Drive 2 Mini to lock onto, as well as a miniature Sonic CD CD-ROM and a Virtua Racing cart to pop into the cartridge slot. The Mega Drive Tower Mini 2 even has an expander so you can use it with the original Mega Drive Mini and a spacer for the 32X mini included in the original Mega Drive Tower Mini. Both are entirely non functional.
There is currently no word of a Western release for the new mini console.
IGN are back with more Sonic Frontiers coverage. This time we have an extensive 7 minute gameplay video that showcases some of the open world action in Sonic Frontiers. You can see it for yourself via the embed below:
The footage is largely exploration-focused, showcasing a move-set that is remarkably similar to previous 3D Sonic entries like Sonic Forces, Sonic Generations and Sonic Colours. New abilities come in the form of a laser loop ability that Sonic uses to surround certain objects like torches which disables them. We also see Sonic running up specific wall-faces. There’s also some light puzzle solving, which unlocks doors and reveals hidden items.
Sonic Frontiers will launch in Holiday 2022 for Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is being developed in house by Sonic Team.
Some SEGA-adjacent news for you! Famed director Yu Suzuki of SEGA classics like After Burner, Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run and Shenmue is back with a new downloadable game called Air Twister. Eagle-eyed viewers will recognise the action of Air Twister as being somewhat reminiscent of Space Harrier. You can check out the bonkers announcement trailer via the embed below. Be prepared for giant swans and a sound-a-like version of Killer Queen:
Air Twister launches exclusively on Apple Arcade on June 24th 2022. The game is not being published by SEGA, but by Suzuki’s own YsNet studio. You will need an Apple device and a subscription to Apple Arcade to play the game once it launches.
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