Speaking to GamesRadar, Iizuka spoke about how it is important for the Sonic franchise to have both 3D games as well as traditional side-scrolling 2D games like the upcoming Sonic Superstars.

“When we talk about the brand, we definitely need to have a modern Sonic 3D game,” Iizuka said. “We also feel we need to have a classic Sonic 2D game. Those are our fundamental pillars that we need to have. We’re expanding into movies and TV, but we still need to have both the 3D and the 2D line up for our gaming audience.”

Iizuka goes on to talk about how Sonic Frontiers is expanding on the Sonic franchise’s 3D platformer ambitions through the use of its open zone concept.

“Last year we released Sonic Frontiers, and what Sonic Frontiers was doing is taking the open zone concept, to cement that 3D Sonic gameplay, as something we can build on for the next 10-20 years to continue bringing new gameplay experiences to players,” continued Iizuka. “It was really the evolution of where the 3D Sonic space was going, and we feel very proud in what the team was able to deliver.”

Iizuka continues talking about the art style of pixel art Sonic Mania—a critical and commercial success when it was released back in 2017. Iizuka continues, stating that the franchise might need to make use of more modern art styles to stay relevant 10-20 years into the future.

Iizuka says, “we look at the pixel art – it’s great – but when we think about 10-20 years in the future, we don’t think it’s going to be a viable art style or presentation for our players. And in order to advance and really step things up, we did want to make sure that we’re presenting something that 10-20 years down the road we’re still evolving and creating new content for.”

Sonic Superstars, slated for release on October 17 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch, will make use of a 3D art style, while still keeping to traditional 2D gameplay. The game will also feature co-op for up to four players, with each player taking on the role of a different character and making use of their unique abilities.

On the 3D Sonic front, Sonic Frontiers recently got a trailer showing off its final update, dubbed the Final Horizon update. The update will bring with it new playable characters, as well as a new story.

Sonic Adventure

Yes, it had some iffy voice acting and lip syncing. Yes, there were some bugs and collision issues. But the first time I saw that cinematic with Chaos wreaking havoc in Station Square as “Open Your Heart” played, I knew Sonic Adventure would be incredible. It offered gorgeous Action Stages to explore in Emerald Coast, Windy Valley, and Speedy Highway while each playable character offered their own unique gameplay hook.

E-101 with its lock-on shooting, Knuckles with the exploration and Chaos Emerald hunting, Amy and her struggle to escape ZERO – there was plenty of good and a bit bad, as seen with Big the Cat’s mercifully short fishing stages. Nevertheless, Sonic Adventure served as an incredible transition from 2D to 3D with its sense of speed, unforgettable music and gameplay.

Sega of America and Atlus U.S.A have just announced the appointment of Ian Curran as the new Chief Operating Officer and President of Sega of America. He will begin performing his duties from today onward. Curran has previously worked with quite a few notable video game companies, in case you didn’t know, such as THQ Nordic and Acclaim Entertainment.

Curran has many years’ experience working in video games publishing, and he’s had a pretty god track record in achieving greater revenue and efficiency at places he’s worked. Most recently, Curran had also worked with Gioteck, which designed and supplied gaming accessories and he accomplished great results with the company. In his new role at Sega of America, he’ll be responsible for maximizing profitability for the publishing sector of the company. He will also be in charge of handling Sonic the Hedgehog business units in the Americas, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

Regarding his role, Curran stated, “My thanks and gratitude to Mr. Miyazaki and the entire company leadership for this opportunity to lead our operations and executions in the Americas and EMEA. I appreciate all of the incredible efforts Mr. Hiraoka has made to lay the groundwork for our operations in the Americas. Coming off the success of Persona 5, Sonic Forces, Sonic Mania Plus, and the Yakuza series, and with so much more on the horizon, including Valkyria Chronicles 4, it is an incredible time to join the team. As part of the Sega family, we are inheritors of an expansive body of work and opportunity which I plan to help reach its full potential.”

We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Sega and Ian Curran. Here’s to hoping for the best in all their future endeavours, and of course, also for some great Sonic games in the future.

I was lucky enough to review the original game when it released. Spoiler alert: it’s excellent and it deserves both the fan and critical acclaim that has been showered on it since launch. But Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games apparently aren’t satisfied with excellent. They wanted something more. If the original release of Sonic Mania was the version that played in theaters, Sonic Mania Plus is the director’s cut you get on home media. Plus adds two new characters, a new mode, and a number of other things to Mania’s already great core. The question is, can you tweak something that was already nearly perfect and make it better?

"Mighty’s ground smash allows you to discover hidden areas lurking beneath your feet, and adds new paths to the game’s already impressively varied levels."

If you haven’t played Sonic Mania, it’s a retro homage to the old Sonic games on the Genesis. But it isn’t just another retro game. Mania is the way you remember the Genesis titles, not the way they actually were. The graphics are better, the controls are tighter, and the music is on point. It feels like a sequel to Sonic and Knuckles that got shoved into a box and forgotten for two decades. There’s no annoying animal friends, no obnoxious story, and no pointless nonsense. This is Sonic at its most pure.

Most of the levels are remakes of classic areas like Green Hill Zone or Flying Battery Zone, and feature both new and familiar bosses to tackle. Most of Mania’s appeal comes from this reimagining of the past: only five of the thirteen original levels in Sonic Mania were new, but they’re just as lovingly crafted and fun to play as the remixed levels. In this regard, Sonic Mania Plus is very much like last year’s release because it’s built on the back of that game. But the devil is in the details. Sonic Mania Plus further remixes the levels from the original release.  There’s always the worry, when messing with a good thing, that tweaking it will end up making it worse, but Whitehead and crew have done an admirable job here; the original Mania stages were already grand, but Plus’s levels add new verticality and replayability. The original didn’t lack either of those things, but it’s nice to see a set of passionate people who aren’t settling for good enough.

The two new characters – Mighty the armadillo and Ray the flying squirrel – add their own thing to the game as well. Ray’s ability to glide allows him to reach high places more easily than most of the other characters and will no doubt remind some of Tails’s floating technique, but Mighty is a new beast entirely. His ground smash allows you to discover hidden areas lurking beneath your feet and adds new paths to the game’s already impressively varied levels. He can also smash through enemies and takes an extra hit before he loses his rings, perfect for newer players or those of us who aren’t very good at Sonic games.

"The other big addition is Encore Mode. You’ll start playing as Sonic, but you can gather up all of the characters in the game as you progress through gorgeous, palette-swapped versions of the levels and pair said characters up to create custom combinations that aren’t available in other modes."

The other big addition is Encore Mode. You’ll start playing as Sonic, but you can gather up all of the characters in the game as you progress through gorgeous, palette-swapped versions of the levels and pair said characters up to create custom combinations that aren’t available in other modes. Certain power-ups scattered around the levels will allow you to switch characters, which keeps things interesting. If a character dies, they’ll be replaced by another from the reserve roster.

This continues until you run out of characters, at which point you’re returned to the start of the stage. It’s a great addition that simultaneously adds more variety to the levels and forces you to take advantage of what makes each character unique. You may end up with a pairing that’s not always ideal for what the game is asking you to do, but I never encountered an area where the character combination I had couldn’t do what I was being asked to. On the contrary, overcoming those moments is half the fun.

There’s a number of smaller changes, too. Competition mode now supports four players and there are a number of small changes to the overall levels and boss fights that make a huge difference. Angel Island from Sonic 3 makes an appearance, as does a new boss. Best of all, if you already own the original release, Plus will only cost you $5. For this much content, that’s not a bad deal.

"For all of its improvements, Plus still has flaws, many of which carry over from Sonic Mania. Competition Mode is still limited to local play."

For all of its improvements, Plus still has flaws, many of which carry over from Sonic Mania. Competition Mode is still limited to local play, and the pinball mini-game in Encore mode feels a bit clunkier than it should, especially since you’ll probably need to do it to get extra characters to complete the mode.

The other major issue is the difficulty. Sonic Mania is hard. Being hard comes with the territory: this is a game inspired by titles from the Genesis, and in case you’ve forgotten, Genesis games were very, very hard. That Sonic Mania attempted to work this difficulty into its design isn’t a surprise, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still frustrating. See, each zone is divided into two Acts. That in and of itself isn’t an issue. What is an issue, however, is that if you die in Act 2, the game sends you all the way back to Act 1. This can be exceptionally troubling when the only thing giving you an issue is Act 2’s boss. The game almost never feels unfair, and you’ll always know why you died. It can be frustrating, but look at it as an opportunity: failure is a possibility to pause, assess what went wrong, and try again.

Another frustrating design choice appears in Encore mode. Should you lose all your characters, you’re started back at the beginning of the Act with your final character. Just your final character. So not only do you have to overcome the level that’s been giving you a hard time, but you only have one character to do it. If you die or run out of time, it’s back to the start again.

"This was Sonic before it collapsed under the weight of cutscenes and voice acting and annoying sidekicks and the shift to 3D. It is speed incarnate, with levels designed to test you in every way they can."

All of these things can be incredibly frustrating, but they’re part and parcel of what makes Sonic Mania Plus great: the game is a literal return to form. This was Sonic before it collapsed under the weight of cutscenes and voice acting and annoying sidekicks and the shift to 3D. It is speed incarnate, with levels designed to test you in every way they can.

Some of the design decisions that go along with this back-to-basics approach can be frustrating. However, they are exceptionally minor complaints in what is a great update for an already excellent game. Sonic Mania already proved Sonic was back. Sonic Mania Plus shows that he’s never been faster. Spin on, you crazy hedgehog.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 4.

Sonic games have always done better on Nintendo platforms than they do anywhere else- even Sonic and Sega All Stars Transformed did the best on Wii U, in spite of it being, well, the Wii U. So it should not have come as a surprise to anyone that Sonic Mania Plus, the retail launch of Sonic Mania, did better on Switch than it did anywhere else.

And yet it does- but that’s because of the context surrounding these numbers. First, these numbers refer to the game’s performance on the UK charts during launch week- the UK traditionally being Nintendo’s weakest market, you would have expected the other console version to have outperformed the Switch one. Secondly, consider the extent to which the game did better on Switch than anywhere else. GamesIndustry reports that 52% of all sales for the game came from the Switch. The PS4 came in second place with 34% of all sales, and Xbox nabbed last place with just 14%.

Like I said, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone- and yet, this is more validation of the Switch’s quiet, steady, slow success in the UK. Sonic Mania Plus is available now for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Xbox One.

Sonic Mania has been a huge success both critically and commercially since it released last year. It’s no surprise then that Sega will soon be releasing an expanded and definitive version of the game called Sonic Mania Plus. As promotion for the game’s release, a new video has been released in the style of an old infomercial, and it is hilarious!

The infomercial looks like it has everything you could have from the ’90s including, the format and the look of the video. In addition to what we saw of the game in Sonic Mania, this expanded version will have some new content as well, including two new playable characters, a new Encore mode, and more. If you are a Sonic fan and haven’t played this game yet, then this definitive edition is going to be worth getting. As the guy in the infomercial points out, this is the “highest rated Sonic game in fifteen years.”

You can check out the infomercial below. Sonic Mania Plus is going to be available for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on July 17.

Sonic raced back into our collective hearts with last year’s fantastic return to form with Sonic Mania (we don’t talk about the other one), and in little over a week Sega will release the title in physical form with the expanded content of Sonic Mania Plus, which includes two brand new playable characters, among other things. The first of two developer diaries has been released, discussing the new art undertaken for the expansion.

Focusing on Art Director Tom Fry and Sonic Team Creative Director Kazuki Hoshino, the video shares, beyond details on the art for the base game, how they brought back the long lost characters of Ray the Flying Squirrel and Mighty the Armadillo, having to redesign them from scratch since Sega didn’t exactly have a lot of assets laying around for such deep cuts. 

We’ve included the video below for your enjoyment. When Sonic Mania Plus releases on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on July 17, it will mark the first physical release of the game. If you have it already though, it’s just a $5 DLC that also comes to the PC and grants the remixed “Encore Mode”, which includes the two new playable characters and their unique play styles, as well as four player races.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

The vaunted Captain Toad has finally returned in a port of the Wii U hit. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker isn’t your traditional Mario platformer. It focuses on navigating mazes, discovering Power Stars and outsmarting enemies en route to rescuing Toadette. Though bonus content has been added in the form of Super Mario Odyssey-inspired levels, the bonus levels from Super Mario 3D World have sadly been removed. Regardless, on July 13^th, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker will be out on Nintendo Switch and 3DS, thus ensuring more players can enjoy its brilliance.

Octopath Traveler

Eight playable characters, multiple ways to play and a huge retro-inspired adventure – Octopath Traveler promises a sprawling RPG experience for fans. Developed by Acquire and Square Enix, the 16-bit sprite designs coinciding with HD effects and 3D environments immediately caught our attention. Since then, the development team has promised 80 to 100 hours of total gameplay from side quests to main story missions. Octopath Traveler is out on July 13^th for Nintendo Switch.

Sonic Mania Plus

Bigger, better and more colourful than the first outing, Sonic Mania Plus serves as the physical version of Sonic Mania for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch. In terms of content, there’s plenty to look forward to. Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel make their 2D platforming return as playable characters with unique moves. Angel Island arrives as a new zone, Encore Mode remixes existing zones with different effects (along with character switching at opportune moments) and boss fights have had their difficulty optimized. Sonic Mania Plus will also be available as DLC to current owners on July 17^th so it’s well worth checking out.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2

No, this isn’t the long-awaited Mega Man X sequel but it’s the next best thing. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 brings all eight Mega Man X titles together in one awesome package on July 24th. Mega Man X1 to 4 represent the first Legacy Collection while Mega Man X5 to 8 make up the second collection. High resolution filters for the SNES and PS1 titles are available along with various illustrations, music and more from the series. The Day of Sigma OVA, detailing Sigma’s turn to the dark side, and X Challenge for fighting two Mavericks from the first six games at once have also been confirmed. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 will be releasing for PS4, Switch, Xbox One and PC.

The Banner Saga 3

Stoic’s epic saga of survival and Viking tragedy will finally reach its thunderous conclusion on July 24^th. The Banner Saga 3 will be available on Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch as players battle the Darkness in the capital city of men, Arberrang. Two caravans must be managed this time on two different fronts. Numerous endings, a new turn counter when embroiled deep in Darkness fights and more await. Whether previous saves carry over or not, you won’t want to miss this.

Red Faction Guerrilla: Re-Mars-tered Edition

Just when you thought we’d forgotten Mars, Red Faction Guerrilla emerges from the ashes with the Re-Mars-tered Edition. Along with the usual open world guerrilla warfare, the Re-Mars-tered Edition will include reworked graphics, better lighting and shadow rendering, post-processing and support for native 4K. Those who own the original Steam release will also obtain the remaster, completely free of charge. Red Faction Guerrilla: Re-Mars-tered Edition arrives on July 3^rd for Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Defiance 2050

Trion Worlds’ Defiance has had a long history of poor development decisions but looks to bounce back with Defiance 2050. Touted as the next chapter of the online shooter, Defiance 2050 will be free to play with Founder’s Packs for unique outfits, titles and three day early access. The game itself has received changes to its progression, items and other key systems. Launching on July 6^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, we’ll see if the franchise can finally find success.

Earthfall

Already exhausted by Warhammer: Vermintide 2 and Deep Rock Galactic, to say nothing of upcoming co-op shooters like Overkill’s The Walking Dead and GTFO? Earthfall may or may not be your thing, as four players fight together against invading aliens. Drop in and drop out co-op, AI bot support and visuals powered by Unreal Engine 4 make for an intriguing experience but how fun will the final release be when it launches on July 13^th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC? We’ll have to wait and find out.

Danger Zone 2

If you’ve pined for the days of old-school Burnout, then Danger Zone 2 should provide that nostalgic kick. Developed by Fiona Sperry and Alex Ward, who created Burnout, Danger Zone 2 will head on to the open road for its vehicular mayhem with 26 levels across 17 different locations in the US and UK. Look for it to release next month on Xbox One, PS4 and PC for $19.99.

Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr (Xbox One, PS4)

NeoCore Games’ latest action RPG based on the Warhammer 40K universe hasn’t had the best launch on PC. Nonetheless, the developer has been working overtime to fix bugs, add new content like Global Events and prepare the endgame Warzone area. The Xbox One and PS4 versions were originally delayed but will now be launching on July 5^th. Even if you don’t pick it up at launch, it’s worth keeping an eye on Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor – Martyr’s progress in the coming days.

Last year’s Sonic Mania is widely regarded to be the best Sonic game in over 20 years, and a return to form for Sega’s beleaguered mascot. Featuring pitch perfect physics, tight level design, and none of the gimmickry that would go on to plague Sonic games after the 16-bit era, Sonic Mania was a revelation, showing us that games starring the blue hedgehog could in fact still be good.

Sonic Mania did well- it sold over a million copies worldwide, was very well received, and is getting a retail release and DLC soon. But in spite of all of that, Sega, currently, has no plans for a sequel to the game.

“With the release of the physical version in Sonic Mania Plus, it feels like we did everything we could for the Sonic Mania project,” Sonic series producer Takashi Iizuka said to Famitsu in an interview (translation by Siliconera) in response to a question about a sequel for the game.

That… to me sounds foolish. Look, to keep the brand relevant, we need good Sonic games, and there hasn’t been a better one than Mania in over 20 years. Hopefully, Izuka is being coy for now to keep the attention on Mania Plus, and a sequel is already in pre-planning stages, at the very least, at Sega.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Sonic Mania Plus, a physical version of Sonic Mania that will include new content, Sega has been releasing Sonic Mania Adventures. The animated series focuses on the exploits of Sonic and his friends as they deal with the no-good Dr. Eggman. Check out the second part of the series below.

In this episode, Sonic gains a lead on the next Chaos Emerald. Ignoring Tails, Sonic promptly gets beaten by Eggman and thus the iconic duo team up. It ends as you’d expect – with Tails and Sonic standing tall, another Chaos Emerald added to their collection. Of course, Eggman quickly gains a lead on another Emerald – namely, Knuckles’ giant Master Emerald, which he’s seen pushing around. There’s also some allusion to Eggman stealing Tails’ plane.

Sonic Mania Plus will be releasing on July 17th and along with a bevy of new features, it will add Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Squirrel as playable characters. Look out for it to release on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PS4. Current owners of Sonic Mania can purchase all this content separately as DLC.