Welcome to 2014, what Sega has dubbed the Year of Sonic.
And they've kicked it off in a big way with the reveal of Sonic Boom, a brand new promotional
effort for the blue hedgehog that includes a new cartoon, toys, and of course a new videogame
for both the Wii U and 3DS.
Sega has unleashed a ton of new information on this ambitious project that already has
Sonic fans buzzing.
New designs, new worlds, new gameplay, and more are shown off in this trailer as well
as all of Sega's press materials.
So you know what that means.
It's time to put the old Analysis Machine into overdrive and see what kind of secrets
and hidden details Sonic Boom may hold.
So let's begin by diving into the biggest revelation of them all, the new character
designs for Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Eggman.
Sonic is now a bit taller and wears a scarf around his neck.
His arms are also colored blue and sports tape is wrapped around his arms and legs.
In the television show trailer, he wears a communicator on his right wrist that puts
him in contact with Tails though there's no sign of it in the game.
Tails is now equipped with a tool belt and goggles.
His shoes are also wrapped with the sports tape but otherwise his design is left unchanged.
Knuckles has the most obvious change in design.
He's now taller than Sonic and has a much broader chest indicating his strength.
He also has the sports tape around his arms and legs, but perhaps the biggest change is
that he now has individual fingers.
A smaller touch is that the Lego-like designs on his shoes are now gone in favor of straps.
Amy has changed into a new dress that flares out less at the bottom as well as knee-high
socks.
Like Tails, her design is mostly the same.
And while Eggman doesn't appear in the game trailer, he's prominent in the TV show one.
It's there that we get to take a look at his new design.
Much like Knuckles, his upper body is more bulky though it doesn't appear to be fat.
His nose is red just like before except that you can see how it gradually becomes that
color.
Eggman's outfit also changed to resemble something more like ace pilots in the early days of
flying.
There's a gauntlet on his right arm as well.
Though he never uses it in the short clip, it may be what he uses to command his robots.
It looks like his Egg-o-matic was redesigned too with it having an opening in the back
and no place for Eggman to sit making it slightly smaller.
These changes range from small to pretty massive, but Sega is assuring everybody of two things.
First is that this is not replacing the classic Sonic canon and is instead a new universe.
The second is that the American developers of the game are working closely with Sonic
Team.
Those developers are the newly formed Big Red Button Entertainment for the Wii U version
and Sanzaru Games for the 3DS.
Very little is actually known about the 3DS version, though it will take place in the
same world as the Wii U version.
However, it will be a unique product with its own story.
It will be interesting to see how different Sanzaru Games makes Sonic Boom 3DS from Wii
U. Sanzaru is a competent developer with its most well-known titles being the HD re-release
of the Sly Cooper trilogy and Sly 4: Thieves in Time.
Big Red Button is a unknown factor in all this since they are so new, but they do have
two big developers that make this project all the more interesting.
First is Bob Rafei, who previously worked with Naughty Dog on the Crash Bandicoot and
Jak & Daxter games as well as the first Uncharted.
The second is Chris Senn, who was one of the developers of the cancelled Sonic X-treme.
The team has a fascinating history both with platformers and Sonic in general.
The Wii U version actually serves as a prequel to the new show though it's unclear what the
plot may involve.
But there are quite a few clues to be found in the trailer.
One of the first sequences shows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy falling down a hole.
While there's nothing too significant here, the narration makes it seem like this is their
first introduction to this new world.
Perhaps this is part of the opening sequence?
Then there's Knuckles narration when he calls this place paradise.
And while this is considered a new canon, there's no reason to believe the characters'
origins are any different.
So maybe it reminds Knuckles of Angel Island in some way.
Or, more likely, it was the home of ancient echidnas.
I say more likely because of the room that holds a statue.
Upon closer inspection, that statue seems to depict an echidna based on his nose and
hairline.
More mysterious than that is what the echidna is holding in his right hand, a ring.
At least it appears to be one with its circular shape and golden color, a stark contrast from
the rest of the statue.
Could this mean that rings are more significant in some way compared to past games?
And speaking of rings, their positioning in this clip of the mine cart canyon could very
well indicate that the Light Speed Dash is returning since they're arranged in an ascending
pattern.
There seems to be a good bit of variety in terms of level design in general.
Besides this canyon there's a jungle area, an old mineshaft or perhaps a secret cave
base, some kind of old factory filled with toxic slime, and most interesting of all,
ruins beneath a parted body of water.
Is this another indication of an ancient civilization since there appears to be an old boat, or
maybe a hovercraft, in the foreground and drowned bits of architecture?
But then there's the tube-like structure in the background that looks much shinier than
the rest.
Is that a new addition?
And just what is causing the water to part?
Could it be a natural phenomenon or perhaps a piece of ancient technology?
It's worth noting that none of the familiar geometry of Sonic levels appears in Sonic
Boom.
While Generations and Lost World were deliberate throwbacks to the classic titles, these are
more natural in design.
There isn't even a single spring to be found in the trailer.
But there is one throwback to older games in the series like Sonic Adventure, a central
hub.
And though the developers have yet to say where it is or what it looks like, we're pretty
sure we know what it is.
The one outdoor area that gets shown off the most has some kind of home with a kind of
antenna on top.
Could Tails have set this up as their base of operations effectively making this the
game's central hub?
It also seems to be on the coast which matches the view from when the door opens later in
the trailer.
Maybe after the initial introduction, they go through this door and find a base.
There's also quite a bit of concept art that shows off this section.
Amusingly enough, this is actually the second time people have seen this world if they saw
the CryEngine 3 trailer from GDC 2013.
The game wasn't listed at the time, only that it was being developed by Big Red Button Entertainment,
but the screens match perfectly.
This effectively shows that the game has been in development since at least late 2012.
It also confirms that the game is running off CryEngine 3 and has been promised to run
in 1080p.
But what about our four heroes?
How will they play?
After all, this is the first Sonic game to feature multiple playable characters in a
long time.
It's important to note that all four characters will be fast, something that hasn't always
been the case in past games.
And looking at this screen, it'd be easy to say that Sonic is the fastest, naturally,
followed by Tails, then Knuckles, and finally Amy.
But it isn't a huge difference as they still keep up with one another.
However, later in the trailer, we see them running together again except that Tails is
clearly in the lead while the rest are all in line.
Could this mean that they're all the same speed or did something happen that caused
Tails to speed out in front?
Then there's the question of their color streaks, which aren't entirely constant.
Slowing down the footage shows that the streaks break apart at times.
Is this significant in any way?
Could it even possibly hint at the return of the boost mechanic?
Either way, this clip also shows the four of them speeding toward an arch that may or
may not increase their speed.
On the other side is at least one constant Sonic level trope, the loop.
But there may be an easter egg in this scene as well.
Looking at the patterns on the path, it is somewhat reminiscent of the classic checkerboard
design from Green Hill Zone.
Appropriate considering the looping path.
In the next scene, Sonic seems to launch himself up the wall with the use of a boost pad.
The clip begins as soon after he's already hit it so did he curl up automatically or
was he using the spin dash to launch himself even higher?
At the top of this jump, you can see area to the left filled with red lightning and
spikes.
It doesn't seem possible to enter it, but it also seems too extravagant to just be a
background detail.
Could it possibly be a highly suicidal alternate path?
This same area also shows off that Tails is once again able to fly.
The question is why he's using that method here rather than the boost pad that Sonic
utilized.
It's been confirmed that Sonic Boom will have a co-op mode, but how will the multiple characters
be handled in single player?
Maybe the level design changes slightly depending on which character you're playing?
Or maybe there will be unique missions for each character in each area.
Next is Knuckles' time to shine as it's shown that he can once again dig underground.
However, once in the ground he can move around freely.
Whenever he launches himself out, he performs and uppercut.
There does seem to be a limitation to where he can dig though.
The pattern on the dirt that he's in is designed differently than the rest.
This seems to be confirmed later on when it's shown that Knuckles can use his spikes to
shimmy along ceilings.
Once again, the part that he's on has a special design.
This likely means that he can still climb vertical surfaces as well though maybe only
if they're marked with this pattern.
Then there's the question if Knuckles can still glide.
It's never shown off in the trailer but assuming that every character has ways of collecting
all the rings in a level then it's possible that he still can.
Many of the rings are arranged in a way that would allow Knuckles to glide into them in
a straight line.
That is if the level loops around to the other side as we expect.
A final question concerning Knuckles is if the destroyed robot nearby is a defeated enemy
or a piece of the level design.
If it is an enemy that Knuckles defeated, maybe the robots stick around for a while
after their destroyed.
Moving on to Amy, it looks as if she's been made a lot more athletic.
Not only can we see her using her hammer to swing across pipes, but she's the only one
of the foursome who safely lands during their fall.
Even Sonic who usually lands on his feet crashes headfirst.
Looking in the back, Amy lands in an almost ninja-like pose.
This could be a very different Amy than what fans are used to.
And that's intentional as the developers wanted to make her a much bigger character in the
game, both as a strong female character and as a way to appeal more to girls.
Back in the slime factory, Amy is also shown running through some kind of mysterious red
energy rings.
There's no indicator to what they actually do, but she seems to be aiming for them.
This also potentially shows off the co-op mode as Sonic is avoiding a green lightning
bolt that's firing at him.
It may be coming from a kind of robot as another appears on the right as Amy is running.
Next is a combat sequence involving the two hedgehogs.
Amy is able to swing her hammer like a tornado, but it's Sonic that's the more fascinating
to watch.
He actually performs a combo of kicks and sends the robot flying along with Amy.
That is something we've never seen Sonic do before outside of cutscenes and the rare Werehog
appearance.
It backs up the claim by the developer that while speed will certainly be present in Sonic
Boom, it won't be the focus.
They want to add exploration, combat, and a compelling story in a meaningful way.
And they seem to be holding to those ideals thanks to both that scene and the one of Sonic
running on water.
It's become a constant sight at this point though this is the first time we see him do
it in such an open area.
More than likely Sonic cannot swim and will die instantly if submerged in Sonic Boom.
Another unique feature about this section is the presence of a ramp in the background
and two arches, one on the left and another on the right.
Perhaps this section acts a time trial and Sonic must pass through all of the arches
in a certain amount of time.
The developers actually stress that the levels will be notably more open to allow for this
extra level of exploration.
While the game won't have an actual sandbox design, it will have a series of smaller sandbox
levels that branch out into even more levels.
Moreover, while there is a central story to this game, there will be plenty of side content
you can do if you choose.
Bob Rafei is open in the fact that his experience with Uncharted influenced his decision to
take Sonic in this direction though they're being careful not to turn it into a Jak & Daxter
game with a Sonic skin.
This is possibly demonstrated thanks to the continued presence of Sonic's homing attack.
Just because he can perform combos on enemies doesn't mean the developers took away his
other abilities.
We can clearly see him use it here to activate a switch in the shape of a blue sphere.
His moveset has increased and includes one of the new abilities that all the characters
share: the Enerbeam tether.
It looks to have a lot of uses and one of which allows Sonic to travel along this streak
of light.
This area high in the clouds also showcases that Sonic setpieces will still be around
as one of the floating buildings crashes toward Sonic.
Will he have to swing to avoid it, or will that naturally occur?
Another example of the Enerbeam is shown here with Tails apparently firing it at some rocks
while Sonic jumps toward it.
What's odd is that the beam doesn't actually hit the rock and it still explodes into rings.
Even more curious is that the rings all start flying toward Sonic without him having to
approach them.
There's obviously no electric shield on him so maybe the rings really will have a different
use this time?
Tails fires the beam again this time striking a door that lights up.
Is it possible that the Enerbeams all have common abilities as well as unique ones depending
on the character?
Or is this something entirely different?
It definitely seems puzzle related though since there's a small yellow robot heading
toward the door on the right.
But what is Amy doing there?
She's standing in the foreground motionless so could it be possible to have a Sonic Heroes-type
system for certain sections that allow players to change characters on the fly?
Or is Amy being controlled by the A.I.
when she's not in use?
But in addition to the new designs and concepts for the heroes, there looks to be a few new
ideas for the robots as well.
There looks to be two main types: one with a kind of energy sword for a hand and one
with cannons for hands.
Both are certainly colorful with bright paint jobs and neon lights.
The robots will also be more varied thanks to a screenshot showing Amy facing off against
a dinosaur-shaped one.
They'll come in different sizes too as revealed by the massive worm robot that reveals itself
at the end of the trailer.
It's safe to assume that it will be a boss in the game.
Thanks to the TV show trailer, it's also safe to assume that they're all built by Eggman
since his Burn Bot has a similar design.
There's no sign of Orbot or Cubot though making it seem like they haven't made it to this
canon.
But even though we've seen Eggman and can assume that the robots belong to him, it doesn't
look like he's the main enemy.
While the developers aren't ready to reveal the main villain yet, they describe him as
darker and more foreboding than the good doctor.
Okay, we're almost done here, but there are still a few pieces of information that are
worth mentioning.
For one, the cartoon trailer also shows off the new Tornado 2 which retains its classic
look though it is a bit more futuristic looking.
It's also the first of Tails' planes that has a second seat.
Maybe Sonic will actually sit inside the plane for once?
There's also a couple of screenshots that Sega has released that shows off other aspects
of the game such as Knuckles using his punches in combat once again, Tails flying, and Sonic
running through what we believe to be the central hub.
There's another of Amy and Sonic working together with their Enerbeams in some way.
Perhaps pulling a lever?
Finally, there are quite a few things that we do know thanks to various previews.
For one, while there is multiplayer, there's no online co-op.
But the local co-op is emphasized thanks to Tails, Knuckles, and Amy all having their
own roles that will work in conjunction with Sonic and possibly each other.
Furthermore, each character has special abilities that will allow them to both explore and combat
enemies.
The goal with this was to allow each character to feel unique and not just Sonic and some
supporting characters.
In the end, the Sonic Boom series as a whole is going to be positioned as a Sega of America
Westernized version of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic Team, meanwhile, will continue to develop Sonic games as they always have.
Games that put a greater focus on Sonic's speed.
It's entirely possible that this new model will allow for yearly iterations of Sonic
games, switching between Sega of America and Japan.
And with that, we've covered all we could find in the Sonic Boom trailers as well as
the various press releases and updates that Sega has provided.
Could 2014 really be the Year of Sonic?
We'll have to wait and see to find out.
Until then, if you liked this video, please be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us
on Twitter at GameXplain.
Thanks for watching and be sure to stay tuned for more on Sonic and other things gaming
too.