The long awaited addition of the UK’s official SEGA comic has finally made its way into our Comics and Graphic Novels section of the Merchandise catalogue. 15 issues of Sonic the Comic have been added complete with cover scans and the stories contained within each issue. We also have some brief information on the publication as a whole as well.
Homebrew developers NoRecess and Condense are creating a brand new port of the 8 bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog for the Amstrad GX-4000 called Sonic the Hedgehog GX. This port is based on the Game Gear version and features some really beautiful artwork:
A playable version isn’t publicly available at this time but the game’s website promises a release by the end of 2020. There are also videos of the game running under direct capture and off-screen on real hardware that you can watch by clicking here and here.
The earliest known prototype has been located and dumped by the good people at Hidden Palace and you can now download and play it yourself through emulation. This prototype dates back to December 4th 1992 and features the ‘CD Sonic’ title screen alongside an earlier build of Palmtree Panic which is known here as Salad Plain Zone. If you’d like to see the prototype in action then SEGADriven’s very own Tracker_TD has recorded a playthrough on his YouTube channel:
Alongside this release, Hidden Palace have also released a dump of a trade show-only multimedia disc that features some new artwork and animations of Sonic and Dr. Robotnik. Images of this artwork was previously referenced in magazine news articles that discussed Sonic 2 being ported to Mega-CD, which ultimately never came to pass:
SEGA has released a new “Special Announcement” trailer for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD. It confirms the monkeys will have alternate costumes in the game, including some referencing other games in the series, such as Baby’s Secret Agent costume from Super Monkey Ball 3D for the 3DS.
But the real special announcement here is the confirmation of one of the worst kept secrets in recent SEGA memory – Sonic the Hedgehog has been added to the game as an unlockable character, in his Classic design! This was actually leaked three times, first through achievements that referred to him and then through a datamine of the recently released Japanese demo, and finally just earlier today through a leaked trailer. However we now have official confirmation, and our first look at him in action! There’s no word on how to unlock him in the game as of yet, but given this is Monkey Ball we can’t imagine it’ll be a walk in the park.
Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD launches October 29th for Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4 and Xbox One, with a PC port coming later in Winter.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
The new iOS subscription service Apple Arcade is available now and with it comes the launch of 2 new SEGA titles, Sonic Racing and ChuChu Rocket! Universe.
Developed by Hardlight, Sonic Racing is a paired down version of Team Sonic Racing with more of a single player focus. ChuChu Rocket! Universe is definitely the more interesting of the bunch as it’s the first ever sequel to ChuChu Rocket! which originally released for Dreamcast back in November 1999. You can see what both games look like in action via the embed below:
Along with Apple Arcade comes the launch of iOS 13 which allows for controller support with bluetooth devices like the PS4 and Xbox One controllers. It’s certainly a more comfortable option for those who prefer buttons to touch and gyro controls.
Apple Arcade costs £4.99 a month but during the launch window you can try the first month for free. It works on all modern iOS devices.
Want to see what games are going to be making an appearance at this year’s Sonic Amateur Games Expo? Well wonder no more because the first game trailer is here:
This is not an exhaustive list, but some of the more SEGA-centric games featured include:
Sonic Liquid Survival
Sonic Island: Lost Paradise
Shadow’s Ladder
Sonic All Mix Plus
Sonic & Knuckles: Key Hunters
Sonic: An Untold Darkness
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic 3 A.I.R.
Sonic and the Mayhem Master
Sonic Smackdown
Sonic.exe: The Assault
Sonic Journey
Sonic the Hedgehog RPG
Sonic & Knuckles: Newtrogic Panic
Phantom Gear
Sonic Explorers
The Sonic Amateur Games Expo will run from September 27th to October 4th at www.sagexpo.org.
An extended look at Android & iOS title Sonic at the Olympic Games is now available to view. Sonic at the Olympic Games is shaping up to be quite an extensive package for a mobile title. It features a selection of exclusive events and even a Tokyo-themed overworld to explore. Check it out below:
Sonic at the Olympic Games launches for Android and iOS devices in Spring 2020. There is currently no word on whether the game is free-to-play for priced.
Cook and Becker are releasing a revised edition of their Sonic the Hedgehog 1991-2016 art book with 32 extra pages that feature art from Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces. This new edition of the book drops the 1991-2016 suffix and launches in November 2019. It is available to pre-order from the official Cook and Becker website now.
This new and revised edition is priced at £38.15 and is available in hardback only. The original release of the book was quite a special little item and if you would like to learn more we have a page dedicated to it in our merchandise section.
GoodSmile Company have announced a re-release of the original version of their Sonic the Hedgehog Nendoroid figure, to be released in February 2020.
The original figure released back in April 2012, with a rerelease in October 13. It was also made available in the Nendoroid EZ line, but there it was ultimately stripped down with fewer accessories. This release is the full monty, with additional goodies like a checkpoint gate and item box.
He also only comes to 3900 JPY, or £30 – which is a far cry from the £90 the original release was going for the last time we checked second-hand store Mandarake. Sonic fans who missed the first release will want to pick this up ASAP.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
The Sonic Amateur Games Expo returns on September the 27th 2019. This long running Sonic fan game event has often been the key event in the Sonic fan gaming calendar, so if Sonic fan gaming is your thing then be sure to mark September 27th to October 4th in your calendar.
Submissions for the event aren’t currently open, but the announcement trailer does mention that further details will come directly from the official SAGE Twitter account which you can access by clicking here.
Please also bookmark the SEGADriven YouTube Channel as we cover the event extensively every year and try to review as many of the games on show as possible. We’re looking forward to another round of impressive and bizarre experiences so stay tuned for further SAGE coverage from us.
SEGADriven and its original content are copyrighted to their respective authors. Media related directly to SEGA is copyrighted to its respective authors. Any comments on SEGA-related materials do not represent SEGA themselves. All rights reserved 2008-2025.
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