Sega Japan 15th anniversary website celebrations

[big_smile]

Sonic’s 15th anniversary is being celebrated across a number of Sega of Japan’s websites.

Sega Direct have released a limited edition figure and two t-Shirts:



Sonic Channel has published the results of the character poll, added a new history section and updated the download area.

When Sonic Channel re-launched in March, it asked a series of questions to identify the most popular characters from the Sonic universe. The results are as follows:

Favourite character?
1. Sonic
2. Shadow
3. Tails

Which character do you prefer to play as the most?
1. Sonic
2. Shadow
3. Tails
4. Knuckles
5. Amy
6. Chao
7. Eggman
8. Metal Sonic
9. Chaos
10. Rouge

Which character should appear more often?
1. Shadow
2. Metal Sonic
3. Knuckles
4. Amy
5. Chao
6. Tails
7. Chaos
8. Sonic
9. Tikal
10. Mighty

Which characters form the best team?
1. Tails
2. Sonic
3. Shadow
4. Knuckles
5. Amy
6. Chao
7. Eggman
8. Rouge
9. Metal Sonic
10. Espio

Which character would you want to hang out with?
1. Tails
2. Sonic
3. Amy
4. Chao
5. Cream & Cheese
6. Shadow
7. Knuckles
8. Charmy
9. Big
10. Rouge

Which characters are most suited to sport?
1. Sonic
2. Knuckles
3. Tails
4. Shadow
5. Amy
6. Chao
7. Dr. Eggman
8. Jet
9. Big
10. Cream & Cheese

[Special thanks to Lizard for the proper translations].

The new history section seems to be an updated version of the timeline that appeared in Sonic Jam. It chronicles all the Sonic games and major events of the last 15 years. The front page contains a flash animation of the timeline that shows Sonic attempting an obstacle course that is made out of the game boxes that were released in each year.

The download section has been updated with a 15th Anniversary wallpaper, and, more interestingly, a paper craft version of the Green Hill Zone:



Finally, Sega Mobile has released two commemorative mobile screensavers:

[Kishi]

Which character should appear more often?
1. Shadow
2. Metal Sonic
3. Knuckles
4. Amy
4. Chao (tie with Amy)
6. Tails
7. Chaos
8. Sonic
9. Tikal
10. Mighty

Shit.

[Gaz]

Which character should appear more often?
1. Shadow

Damn it!

Still, this is a little disappointing. There was a lot of speculation about more news on the upcoming Sonic games or even a new game announcement happening today but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

[CM August]

Fuck that poll. Vigorously.

[Tsuyoshi-kun]

Until you made this thread, big_smile, I almost forgot today was the 15th anniversary of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, which premiered in the U.S. on that date. I didn't actually play the game until Christmas of that year, though.

[Ngangbius]

More shitty Shadow spin-offs and/or Shadow-like gameplay a.k.a. shooting in SUV in regualr Sonic games for all!

[BlazeHedgehog]

Curious to note that Mighty cracked the top ten. Guess his absence from Team Chaotix really DOES bug folks.

[Gaz]

Also notable is that Fang doesn't seem to have reached the top 10 in any of those polls. I guess no one wants to see him return after all.

[Ritz]

Okay. For the first time ever, I genuinely hate Shadow. He has finally made me come to the realization that Vector and Bark will never, ever be popular. I mean, yeah, it was obvious, but really, did anyone vote for them? Soulless vessels.

Same with Fang, but you just know he's going to come back, right? I'll settle for Mighty, though.

[Lizard]

Some minor nitpickings

First of all Amy and Chao are not tied in any of the lists. Second, big_smile misslabeled the last list in his post, it should be "Which character would you want to hang out with?" or something like that. Third, big_smile forgot the last list "Which characters are most suited to sport?".

1. Sonic
2. Knuckles
3. Tails
4. Shadow
5. Amy
6. Chao
7. Dr. Eggman
8. Jet
9. Big
10. Cream & Cheese

[Ngangbius]

Waitaminute! If Shadow cracked so high in this poll, then why did Shadow the Hedgehog majorly bomb in Japan? Either Japanese Sonic fans can sense a real stinker of a game or I'll call shenanigans. ;)

[M.C.Dillinger]

I just downloaded the paper craft Green Hill Zone. It's kind of neat, for a paper craft anyway.

[j-man]

I'm more worried about this question:

Which characters are most suited to sport?

Spin-offs ahoy!

[Locit]

Hey, something funny from the ODCM from January of 2000
on Sonic plush dolls:

"Traditionally, dolls like these have been the solo preserve of those lucky Japanese otaku and their rucksacks full of disposable yen. But now you can get your hands on them, too (and thankfully, Sonic hasn't been given an Uzi at the request of some clueless marketing exec)."

[James McGeachie]

I'm surprised no one else has mentioned it and I'm not sure how reliable it is, but according to here, Sonic 1 is getting yet another port, this time for GBA. Apparently they're adding in the spindash too.

If it's true, personally I don't really get it. I figured if they were ever going to do this it would've been a lot earlier on in the system's lifecycle.

[Delphine]

Apparently they're adding in the spindash too.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[Gaz]

It was mentioned in another thread. As I commented there it just sounds really pointless to me considering the number of times Sonic the Hedgehog has already been ported and the fact it will be available on the Wii's Virtual Console and Xbox 360 Live Arcade.

[James McGeachie]

Actually I don't think the home console ports really make any difference with this decision, since this is a proper official portable version (no horrible Sonic 1 mobile rubbish). I do think it's a bit late for them to start this now though, at least on the GBA. Although I dont own the system, a mega-collection on the PSP would've probably made more sense really.

[Light Speed]

Does anyone else really want that first shirt? Sega Direct hates America though, right?

[Ngangbius]

Although I dont own the system, a mega-collection on the PSP would've probably made more sense really.

Screw a mega-collection! I would rather have a Sonic Jam port on the PSP. Good portable Sonic games in an excellent complitation and in widescreen.

[Majestic Joey]

It seems to me sonic has turned into to pac man in the way that his games are going to be ported until the end of time.

I hope that sentence made sense.

[One Classy Bloke]

It seems to me sonic has turned into to pac man in the way that his games are going to be ported until the end of time.

I hope that sentence made sense.

I understood it.

Anyway, this isn't the only port of Sonic 1 we'll be seeing. As there may be another collection of retro Sega games on the way (This one actually looks awesome though).

[Adamis]

Is it like the Sega Pocket Gear that will be released on July 3rd in France?



With those games:

SONIC TRIPLE TROUBLE / SONIC DRIFT 2 / ECCO TIDES OF TIME / ALEX KIDD IN HIGHT TECH WORLD / ALEX KIDD IN MIRACLE WORLD / SUPER COLUMNS / COLUMNS / ASTRO WARRIOR / QUARTET / BOMBER RAID / KUNG FU KID / ALTERED BEAST / FANTASY ZONE / FANTASY ZONE THE MAZE / PENGUIN LAND / ASSAULT CITY / AZTEC ADVENTURE / GLOBAL DEFENSE / THE NINJA / SNAIL MAZE

Price: 60€

[Locit]

Anyway, this isn't the only port of Sonic 1 we'll be seeing. As there may be another collection of retro Sega games on the way (This one actually looks awesome though).

How optimistic can you really get about another repackaging of Genesis games, though? Or will there be other non-Genesis games in the collection as well?

Also, SNAIL MAZE! WOOOO!

[Shadow Hog]

Maybe they mixed <i>Treasure Box</i> into this collection or something. That would <b>indeed</b> be worth buying, just not for <i>Sonic 1</i>.