We’re very happy to announce that Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz will be available on PlayStation Vita systems on October 23. AiAi, MeeMee, GonGon and Baby all return in the most advanced Monkey Ball title yet.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz contains more than 100 stages of puzzle mayhem and eight mini-games (including such fan favorites as Monkey Target and Monkey Bingo) as well as a full complement of Vita-specific features that take advantage of the powerful handheld console. Tilt control functionality allows gamers to step inside the Monkey Ball and negotiate the game world using motion control, while the PS Vita’s camera can be used to capture real-world objects to create custom stages within the game.

Online multiplayer means gamers will not only be able to challenge their friends and family, but also go bananas at each other just about anywhere in the world and Global Leaderboards – accessible via GPS – will set the precedent for the most talented monkey manipulator around!

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II has been out for about a week now (depending on your platform of choice), and judging by the flurry of activity in our forums and elsewhere online, many of you have been playing it a lot! Well, now’s your chance to play some co-op with us!

We’ll be holding a “Play with SEGA” event for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II this coming Friday, May 25th. Here are all the details you need to know:

• We will be online Friday, May 25th from 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM US Pacific Time.
• We will be playing on Xbox Live only
• Because of how Xbox’s networks are setup, we are only able to play with people based in North America (sorry, friends around the world!)
• In order to accommodate as many people as possible, we will only play one act with each person.

Below are the gamertags that we will be using for the event. Please note that these are special gamertags set up for this event. Although the people listed below are scheduled to play, things may change based on workload (people have jobs to do!), schedules, or technical issues.

SEGA Ken – Ken Balough, Sonic 4 Brand Manager

SEGA Eric – Eric Ruud, Associate Online Manager

SEGA Craig – Craig Harris, Affiliate Marketing Manager

SEGA Alben – Alben Pedroso, Sonic 4 Episode II Producer

SEGA Ethan – Ethan Einhorn, Director of Developer Relations/Creative Director

SEGA SamM – Sam Mullen, Localization Producer

SEGA Julian – Julian Mehlfeld, Community Manager

SEGA Aaron – Aaron Webber, Associate Brand Manager

Other accounts you may see online are SEGA Frank and SEGA Kellie, but there is nobody scheduled to play with these gamertags at this time. (Again, that may change!)

We hope you can play some Sonic 4 Episode II with us !

A fine vintage, indeed: some great classics and collections are now on their way to both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network! This selection includes both some all-time favorites as well as a few that have been very hard (or impossible) to come by.

All PSN games will be available individually. XBLA games will be available in several package deals grouped by title. Here’s a breakdown of what you get:

PlayStation Network

Release Date: May 22nd ($4.99 each)

Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Mega Drive)
Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Super Hang-On (Arcade)
Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)

Xbox Live Arcade

Release Date: 5/23

Monster World Collection (800 MSP)
Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Arcade)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Monster World IV (Genesis/Mega Drive)

Alex Kidd & Co. Collection (800 MSP)
Super Hang-On (Arcade)
The Revenge of Shinobi (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Alex Kidd in Miracle World (Master System)

Release Date: 5/30

Golden Axe Collection (800 MSP)
Golden Axe (Arcade)
Golden Axe 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Golden Axe 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)

Streets of Rage Collection (800 MSP)
Streets of Rage (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis/Mega Drive)
Streets of Rage 3 (Genesis/Mega Drive)

If you missed our write-up of some of these titles for the Nintendo Virtual Console, you can check them out here. Here’s some quick notes on what’s available:

•  Golden Axe III was originally available only in Japan and on the SEGA Channel in North America (and never in Europe)! The final entry to the Golden Axe series on console expanded on the gameplay of the previous two, offering a wider variety of moves including blocks, sweeping attacks, unique character moves, and offensive & defensive special attacks.
• Monster World IV has never been released outside of Japan — the game is notable for being one of the first to feature a female protagonist.
• Super Hang-On is the arcade version — while we sadly cannot bring you the actual arcade motorcycle via digital download, we do recommend players rock back and forth on their couch as they play in order to simulate maximum arcade-style value.
• Golden Axe was terrific on all versions — even the Master System had great graphics, if a questionable frame-rate. But the Arcade version is included for a reason, and that reason is the ending — if you’ve never achieved it on your own, you owe it to yourself, as it was one of the great payoffs of the era.
• Lastly, Alex Kidd in Miracle World is representing the Master System: more than almost any other, this game gives an idea of the quirky, experimental, hybrid of adventure/action gaming that SEGA helped pioneer during the heyday of the home console.

Hail, Knights!

SEGA and Three Rings are pleased to announce that we have hit a major milestone for Spiral Knights: today the game saw the creation of its three millionth account!

In celebration, and of course to thank all of you wonderful players for traveling this journey with us, all elevators will have no energy cost from now to Saturday, May 19 at 2pm PST.

To have seen this game grow from an infant Knight in its earliest alpha stage to a cool one million — and now to hit three million (and growing) accounts just a year after release, is definitely special. Seeing the game grow and change along the way is the best part — of course, there’s no need to rest on our spiral laurels, as it were, so here’s a sneak peak of what’s on the way:

• More Missions, More Levels

Ever deeper into the Clockworks — new levels are on the way. And if it’s a challenge you want, then it is a challenge you will get — the new “Danger Missions” will offer enhanced challenge for those who think they’re tough enough.

• More Combat Options!

Much secrecy around this so far — but expect it to be unveiled in stages. The end goal is to make combat more dynamic and strategic — and possibly more explosive – and therefore, more fun! Stay tuned …

• More Accessible DLC!

Operation Crimson Hammer will eventually be giftable to all players. Making sure this works properly can be tricky so please give it a bit of time — but it’s on the way!

• Expanded Guild Features!

If there’s one thing Knights do naturally, it’s band together for common purposes. Well, we want to reward your camaraderie — Spiral Knights is looking to expand existing guild features and introduce new ones, giving you ever-more ways to compete in groups.

Thanks everyone for continuing to help make Spiral Knights a success … we couldn’t have done it without you, and we’re looking forward to what the future brings for the Clockworks …!

Sega is excited to host a Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown side tournament at EVO 2012! EVO plays host to the top players in the fighting genre across a wide range of games. Players from all over the world arrive in Las Vegas to claim the top prize – the title of world champion! SEGA’s involvement in the tournament is huge. It’s a return to force with Virtua Fighter and we’re putting up $15,000 in prizes to show our support for the genre, the brand, and the players!

Registration, Fees, and Tournament Times

To be entered into the tournament, you’ll need to visit the registration site and pay the $15 entrance fee. We are only accepting the first 256 entries, so you’ll have to be quick! All registration will close at 11:55pm on June 25th, 2012. No on-site registration will be allowed.

http://vf5fsevo2012.eventbrite.com/

The tournament will primarily take place on Friday and Saturday, with the Grand Finals taking place on Sunday. In order to participate in the Virtua Fighter Tournament, you will NEED an EVO visitors badge. You can pick up this badge and find more information on the Shoryuken website.

By purchasing a Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Tournament Ticket, you are agreeing to abide by the official tournament rules. Rules are listed in full at the end of this entry.

Tournament Prizes

The tournament requires a non-refundable $15 entry fee, payable only through Paypal. The prize pot will be composed of all entree fees, as well as an additional $15,000 contributed by Sega.

The $15,000 will be split as follows. All pot money from entry fees will be added on top of these amounts and will be announced at a later date.

1: $3,000
2: $2,000
3: $1,500
4: $1,200
5: $1,000
6: $900
7: $800
8: $600
9 – 16: $500

More details will be announced as we approach the tournament. Thanks for your participation – we look forward to seeing you at the event!

Sega of America, Inc.

Evo 2012

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

Official Tournament Rules

(1) Description of Tournament– Sega of America, Inc. (“Sega”) is hosting a Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown Tournament as part of EVO 2012, currently scheduled to be held on July 6-July 8, 2012 at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, NV (“Tournament”), and will award prizes to tournament winners.

By participating in the Tournament, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sega, which shall be final and binding in all respects. By participating in the Tournament, participants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Promotion Entities (defined below) from any and all damages whether direct or indirect, which may be due to or arise out of participation in the Tournament or any portion thereof, or the acceptance, use/misuse or possession of prizes.  Further, the Promotion Entities do not make any warranty, representation, or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the use of any prize, including, without limitation, quality, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.  Further, no responsibilities are accepted for any additional expenses, omissions, delays, re-routing, or acts of any government or authority.

(2) Eligibility – The Tournament is open to all entrants who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at time of entry. Employees, officers and directors of Sega of America, Inc., SRKX Productions, LLC, and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, advertising, promotional, fulfillment and marketing agencies, (collectively “Promotion Entities”) their immediate families (parent, child, sibling & spouse) and persons living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the Tournament. Void in Quebec, Puerto Rico, and all other US and international territories and where prohibited by law, rule or regulation. All international, federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.
(3) How to Enter – The registration period for the Tournament will begin at 9am PST on May 14, 2012 and close at 11:55pm on June 25, 2012.  Tournament entrants may register at the following website:  http://vf5fsevo2012.eventbrite.com/ (“Website”).  Each entrant will be charged a one-time flat entry fee of fifteen USD ($15), with payment information specified on the Website.  The Tournament will be limited to two hundred fifty-six (256) entrants, and participants will be chosen on a “first come first served basis.”  There is a limit of one (1) entry per person per e-mail address.  Entries that are incomplete, contain irregular or invalid information, contain incorrect payment information, and/or are corrupted are void and will not be accepted.  In no event will the Promotion Entities be liable to entrants for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages.  The Promotion Entities’ liability to entrants arising out of or in connection with the Tournament is limited to the fifteen USD ($15) entry fee.

(4) Data Collection – Sega collects personal information from you when you enter the Tournament.  By entering the Tournament, you agree to all of the terms and conditions of Sega’s Privacy Policy.  For information about how personal information may be used, see Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, which is available at http://www.sega.com/legal/privacy.php.

(5) Rules – The Tournament will be governed by official EVO 2012 Tournament rules, which can be found at the following website:  http://evo.shoryuken.com/evo-player-guide/evo-tournament-rules/.  Rules specific to Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown will be announced prior to the Tournament, and may vary depending on the number of Tournament entrants.  In the event of any conflict between the EVO 2012 Tournament rules and the rules explained in this document, these Official Rules shall govern.

(6) Prizes – Players will be ranked at the end of the Tournament.  The top sixteen (16) players will win cash prizes, the value of which will be determined based on the number of eligible Tournament entries received.  Cash prize values will be announced prior to the start of the Tournament.  Any prize winner receiving an excess of six hundred USD ($600) will also need to complete a W-9 form (if a U.S. resident) and a W-8 form (if a non U.S. resident).  All cash prizes are subject to tax withholding requirements as required by the law.

(7) Prize Awarding – Winners will be announced on site and provided with an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability/Publicity/Photograph Release (“Affidavit”), which must be completed, (unless prohibited by law). The completed Affidavit must be returned no later than July 8, 2012; failure to respond in this period of time will result in the winner’s forfeiture of the Tournament, and will result in disqualification, forfeiture of the prize and the selection of an alternate winner.  Winners grant Sega the right to use and publish winner’s proper name, country, city, and state online in connection with the Tournament. Acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for Sega to use winner’s name and likeness solely for advertising and promotional purposes as Sega without notice or further compensation, except where prohibited by law. Prize recipient shall not be permitted to (a) replace his/her designated prize with another prize or item or (b) transfer or assign his/her designated prize to another person. All federal, state, local, and other taxes on prizes, (including any applicable import taxes on prizes) are the sole responsibility of the person accepting the prize.  Sega will comply with all tax withholding requirements as required by the law prior to rewarding the prize(s).

(8) General – All decisions of Sega in any matter relating to this Tournament shall be binding and final. Sega is not responsible for technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware, software, or web site. Sega is not responsible for lost, interrupted or unavailable network server or other connections, miscommunications, failed telephone or computer or telephone transmissions or technical failure, jumbled, scrambled or misdirected transmissions, for incorrect or inaccurate entry information, howsoever caused, or other error of any kind whether human, mechanical or electronic. Entrants found tampering with or abusing any, aspect of this Tournament, as solely determined by the judges, will be disqualified. If disqualified for any of the above abuses, Sega reserves the right to terminate entrant’s eligibility to participate in the Tournament. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Tournament may be in violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sega reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sega’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Sega reserves the right to terminate, cancel, suspend and/or modify the Tournament if any fraud, virus or other technical problem corrupts the administration, security, or proper play of the Tournament, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.  The Tournament and the rights and obligations of Sega and Entrants will be governed by and controlled by the laws of the state of California, applicable to contracts made and performed therein without reference to the applicable choice of law provisions. All actions, proceedings or litigation relating hereto will be instituted and prosecuted, without resort to any form of class action, solely within the state courts of California and federal courts located within such state and county with respect to any action, dispute or other matter pertaining to or arising out of the Tournament. In the event any provision of these Official Rules will be held to be unenforceable, these Official Rules will continue in full force and effect without such provision.

© SEGA.  SEGA and either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. VIRTUA FIGHTER and FINAL SHOWDOWN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation.

Click here to view the embedded video.

On the Block

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II for PSN or XBLA – Rolling out this week, but you can play it now! The winner will get a code for the game on PSN or XBLA (winner’s choice!)

2. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II for PSN or XBLA – Second verse, same as the first.

3. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II iPhone 4/4S case – We know. It says 4G/4GS on it. We hang our head in shame.

How it Works

1. You must be following us on Twitter to be eligible. (If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can create one by going to http://www.twitter.com and click the green “get started — join!” button in the center of the page.)

2. At random times on Friday, we will announce the prize we are giving away, a word or phrase, and what number of response you need to be to win. Send us a direct message (DM) via Twitter and be that number to win the prize. (@ replies do not count as entries!) We only accept one direct message per person per prize!

Example:

We tweet “GIVEAWAY: Sonic T-shirt, size L. Be the 15th person to DM “Sonic Adventure” to win!”

You see this, and want to win it, so you send us a direct message that says “Sonic Adventure”. If you are the 15th person to do so, you are the winner!

Quotation marks do not matter, capitalization does not matter, but spelling does matter!

3. All followers are eligible to win all prizes, unless a restriction is noted. Restrictions are usually due to the prize being region-locked. For example, US games that won’t work on UK gaming systems. There may also be age restrictions due to the rating of the game.

4. We will announce the winner on our Twitter feed once eligibility is confirmed.

Other Assorted Information:

• Free Stuff Friday duties alternate between the London and San Francisco offices and are done during business hours (usually mid-morning) in our respective time zones.
• No, you can’t know what number message you were – so please don’t ask! We will tell you that the information is classified!
• If you have questions during the giveaway, please contact us with an @reply. As you can imagine, we get a whole lot of direct messages during the contests and there  is a very good chance we will miss your question if it is sent as a DM.

How to Send Direct Messages on Twitter

Due to a change in our account status with Twitter, you should be able to send us direct messages without us following you. However, third-party applications may not allow you to.

There are a few ways to send us a Direct Message on Twitter. The easiest way is:

1. Log in to your Twitter account.
2. Click on the person icon and select Direct messages from the drop down menu.
3. You’ll see a pop up showing your Direct message history. Click the New message button, highlighted below.
4. In the address box, type the name or username (SEGA) of the person you wish to send a message to.
5. Enter your message and click Send message.

You may also select the “direct messages” tab from your Twitter homepage, and select SEGA from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Again, if you don’t see our name there, it’s probably because we’re not following you. Let us know, and we’ll follow you. If you still have questions on sending direct messages, please visit Twitter’s Help Section.

There are also many Twitter clients that you can use instead of using the website. These include TweetDeck, Twitteriffic, Tweetie, and Twhirl. Each of these programs works differently, so you’ll want to figure out how to send a direct message on the program you use. If you want to send us a test message, we’ll let you know if we received it or not. Please make sure your message says “test” somewhere.

Calling all cosplayers! We had some amazingly dressed fans at last year’s Sonic Boom, and this year’s will be no different. We’re looking for your best Sonic or SEGA-inspired costume, so come dressed to impress! Anyone at Sonic Boom can enter the contest, and a winner will be chosen by our special SEGA guests, including Jun Senoue from Crush 40, and Steve Lycett (S0L) from Sumo Digital.

Crush 40 will be playing live at both Summer of Sonic and Sonic Boom events, and special guests Jean Paul and Alex Makhlouf from Cash Cash will also playing live at Sonic Boom. Get ready to rock out to your favorite Sonic song with your fellow fans!

Sonic Boom 2012 will be held on Friday, July 13^th, 2012 from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM at the House of Blues in San Diego, CA (during San Diego Comic Con). Tickets are $20 each ($15 for the ticket and $5 for the TicketMaster fee) and include 2 drink tickets (for those 21 or older) and free food. You do not need a Comic Con badge to get into Sonic Boom. You must have a ticket to get in. Tickets are going quickly, so get yours today! You can purchase your tickets at http://bit.ly/IM9OoT

Summer of Sonic 2012 will take place in the Hove Centre, at Hove Town Hall, Brighton on Saturday, July 7^th 2012.  Tickets are available from the Summer of Sonic website: www.summerofsonic.com/

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II begins rolling out today! This new entry in the Sonic 4 storyline has the iconic blue hedgehog taking on two legendary rivals with the help of one of his oldest friends, Miles “Tails” Prower. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II is available today on the PlayStation Network and Steam for $14.99/€12.99/£9.99/AUD$18.25. It will be available tomorrow on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 points, as well as NVidia Tegra 3 powered devices on Android for $6.99/ AUD$7.49/€5.49/ £4.99. On 17^th May, it will be available for iPhone and iPad on the iTunes App Store for $6.99/ AUD$7.49/€5.49/ £4.99.

“Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we’ve integrated community feedback into the game.” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.”

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II also offers players who have purchased Sonic the Hedgehog™ 4 Episode I the exclusive chance to experience Episode Metal, a special unlockable story available to anyone who owns both titles on the same platform. Lead one of our hero’s greatest foes, Metal Sonic, across four reworked Acts from Episode I to learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sonic 4 Episode II and Episode Metal will also be coming to all other Android Device systems this June, and Windows Mobile Phones by this July. For more information about the game, visit http://www.sonicthehedgehog4.com/.

The True Blue Initiative, Episode II

When Episode I launched, we wanted to pay a special thank-you tribute to everyone who purchased multiple copies of the game. We called it the True Blue Initiative, and it’s back for Episode II!

Anyone who picks up two or more versions of the game will be included in a special video, featuring me and Ken Balough, to be posted on the SEGA America YouTube channel, the SEGA Blog, The SEGA forums, the Sonic Facebook, and the SEGA Twitter. This will be a sort of MVP list that will document all of the fans out there who went above and beyond to help support the game. (Rumor has it that interested parties may also request that Ken present his thank you in Spanish, and he will actually do so. Es loco!)

Those fans who have the determination to grab four versions of the game will also be in the video, but as a special bonus thank you, will also receive a mini-poster featuring artwork from Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode II that is signed by the Sonic 4 team at SEGA of America. Pretty awesome!

Here are the details:

• There are 5 platforms eligible for this – XBLA, PSN, PC, iOS, and Android.
• You must submit a screenshot of your purchase receipt of the 2 or 4 versions. You can private message them to me on the SEGA forums or submit them by email to communityteam@sega.com with the subject line “True Blue Initiative”. (JPGs are our preferred image type.)
• Please include the name you’d like us to mention in the video (and a pronunciation guide to your name, if you think that would help us).
• If you are submitting receipts for 4 games, please also send us your full name, mailing address, telephone number (required for shipment), and the name you’d like us to personalize your mini-poster with when we sign it.
• You have until 10:00 AM Pacific Time on Friday, June 15th to submit your receipts.
• For XBLA, you need to show us your purchase history that contains Episode II. Instructions for accessing your purchase history are below. Screenshots or photos of this are acceptable.

  If you want to see a history of items that you’ve purchased, go to Purchase History and sign in with your Windows Live ID (email address and password).

  You can also view your Xbox LIVE purchase history on your console. Here’s how:

  1. On your console, sign in using your Xbox LIVE gamertag.
  2. Go to Settings, and then select Account.
  3. Select Download History.
  4. The items that you’ve downloaded are shown.

The wait is over! Go play some Sonic 4 Episode II, and thanks for being True Blue fans!

We are very happy to announce the release date for Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown! The wait is nearly over – if you live in North America, you can pick up the game on PlayStation Network (PSN) on June 5th and the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) version on June 6th! If you live in Europe, you can pick up XBLA and PSN versions on June 6th! Easy! Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will cost $14.99/£9.99/AUD$18.25/ €12.99 for PSN and 1,200 Microsoft Points for XBLA.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown brings the latest arcade version of the Virtua Fighter 5 series to consoles worldwide, adding two new characters—Virtua Fighter 3 favorite Taka-Arashi and newcomer Jean Kujo—and dynamic and interactive fighting arenas. Console-only features include a robust and detailed Training Mode, eight player Online Room Match Mode, and a match record feature to replay, save, and upload fights. Developed by AM2, the console version of Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown will bring the storied franchise’s detailed balance, overhauled fighting mechanics, and extreme depth to new audiences and VF veterans alike in the acclaimed series’ best version yet.

At Launch DLC – Character Customization Packs!

Character customization DLC packs will be available immediately upon launch for all 19 fighters, with each character customization pack costing $4.99/£3.59/AUD$6.25/€4.49 for PSN and 400 Microsoft Points for XBLA, and will contain 600-900 customization items. Two additional customization bundle packs, consisting of nine characters’ worth of DLC items and the other with 10 characters’ worth, will also be available at launch for $14.99/£9.99/AUD$18.25/ €12.99 each on PSN and 1,200 Microsoft Points each on XBLA.

One of the Sonic questions we’re asked most often is about purchasing soundtracks — where, when, how. Well for all fans of Sonic music, we’ve got good news for you! The following soundtracks are now available for purchase on iTunes, and the music of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episodes I and II are coming soon!

Sonic Adventure Original Soundtrack – 20th Anniversary Edition

Sonic Adventure 2 Original Soundtrack – 20th Anniversary Edition

Sonic Heroes Original Soundtrack – 20th Anniversary Edition

Sonic CD Original Soundtrack – 20th Anniversary Edition

Super Sonic Songs (The Best of Crush 40)

The Works

Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack – ViViD SOUND × HYBRiD COLORS Vol. 1

Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack –   ViViD SOUND × HYBRiD COLORS Vol. 2

Sonic Colors Original Soundtrack – ViViD SOUND x HYBRiD COLORS Vol. 3

Are you in or around London and want to check out Aliens Colonial Marines? The London MCM Expo has got you covered! Running from May 25th to May 27th, the expo features a huge floor of games, comics, movies, and will include a PLAYABLE Aliens Colonial Marines! That’s right, much like our Penny Arcade East showing, we’ll have a mix of some Gearbox folks and Sega friends in attendance showing off the game and fighting against you in the multiplayer all weekend long!

Where is it and how can I attend?

We’re looking forward to seeing you at the event, but you’ll have to get there and grab a ticket to get in – easy stuff!

Where: Excel London, Royal Victoria Dock, London, E16 1XL – Check the website for more info!
Tickets & Attendance: Tickets are still available, check the website for more info!

Hope to see you there!

The announcement day is here! We are very happy to announce the final winners in our Jet Set Radio Graffiti contest! As you recall, we tasked you, the fans, to come up with some graffiti that would appear in the game. In return, we have put the 18 winning graffiti images into the game and are very happy to show it all off in the video below!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Congratulations to you all! We hope you enjoy seeing them for yourselves when the game releases this summer!

Full Winners List!

Thanks to all who participated!

We were blown away by how many submissions we received in this competition – over 1200! They were a joy to go through and while we had to make a tough call to award only 18 winners, we’re happy to share the entire batchin a massive flickr album.

Earlier this week, we showed you concept art and screenshots from Dragon Canyon, a level in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed inspired by Panzer Dragoon. Today, we’ve got more concept art and screenshots — this time, from Temple Trouble, a track inspired by Super  Monkey Ball.

Super Monkey Ball first appeared in 2001, and has been a fan favorite ever since. The technicolor extravaganza of this level is inspired by the graphical and level design of the Super Monkey Ball titles. The checkerboard tracks wind above the infamous bottomless pits of the Monkey Ball series as the precariously balanced participants race in a battle to the finish line. The multiple colors of the checkers warn of dangerous routes, which add to the tactical nature of this more advanced track. Watch out for the monkey balls trying to stop you in your tracks, also taking inspiration from the characters in the game!

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed will speed on to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, and PC Digital Download late in 2012.

Don’t forget to enter your art into our contest! We need graffiti-style art to go into the Jet Set Radio level of the game. Get all the details and read the official rules, and then get started! The deadline for the contest is May 22nd for the US & Canada, and May 31st for the UK.

Click here to view the embedded video.

On the Block

1. Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing RC Car & Track Set – Get this awesome 8 foot track along with Sonic and Knuckles remote control racing cars.

2. Controller Hoodie – We’re running out, so get them while you can! This one is a size Large.

3. Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver (11th Doctor) – For all your time traveling needs.

How it Works

1. You must be following us on Twitter to be eligible. (If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can create one by going to http://www.twitter.com and click the green “get started — join!” button in the center of the page.)

2. At random times on Friday, we will announce the prize we are giving away, a word or phrase, and what number of response you need to be to win. Send us a direct message (DM) via Twitter and be that number to win the prize. (@ replies do not count as entries!) We only accept one direct message per person per prize!

Example:

We tweet “GIVEAWAY: Sonic T-shirt, size L. Be the 15th person to DM “Sonic Adventure” to win!”

You see this, and want to win it, so you send us a direct message that says “Sonic Adventure”. If you are the 15th person to do so, you are the winner!

Quotation marks do not matter, capitalization does not matter, but spelling does matter!

3. All followers are eligible to win all prizes, unless a restriction is noted. Restrictions are usually due to the prize being region-locked. For example, US games that won’t work on UK gaming systems. There may also be age restrictions due to the rating of the game.

4. We will announce the winner on our Twitter feed once eligibility is confirmed.

Other Assorted Information:

• Free Stuff Friday duties alternate between the London and San Francisco offices and are done during business hours (usually mid-morning) in our respective time zones.
• No, you can’t know what number message you were – so please don’t ask! We will tell you that the information is classified!
• If you have questions during the giveaway, please contact us with an @reply. As you can imagine, we get a whole lot of direct messages during the contests and there  is a very good chance we will miss your question if it is sent as a DM.

How to Send Direct Messages on Twitter

Due to a change in our account status with Twitter, you should be able to send us direct messages without us following you. However, third-party applications may not allow you to.

There are a few ways to send us a Direct Message on Twitter. The easiest way is:

1. Log in to your Twitter account.
2. Click on the person icon and select Direct messages from the drop down menu.
3. You’ll see a pop up showing your Direct message history. Click the New message button, highlighted below.
4. In the address box, type the name or username (SEGA) of the person you wish to send a message to.
5. Enter your message and click Send message.

You may also select the “direct messages” tab from your Twitter homepage, and select SEGA from the drop-down menu at the top of the page. Again, if you don’t see our name there, it’s probably because we’re not following you. Let us know, and we’ll follow you. If you still have questions on sending direct messages, please visit Twitter’s Help Section.

There are also many Twitter clients that you can use instead of using the website. These include TweetDeck, Twitteriffic, Tweetie, and Twhirl. Each of these programs works differently, so you’ll want to figure out how to send a direct message on the program you use. If you want to send us a test message, we’ll let you know if we received it or not. Please make sure your message says “test” somewhere.

New Starting Experience for New Knights

The Crash Site, Rescue Camp and Rescue Camp Missions have been revamped!

New players will now meet their pal Rhendon and join him as they save the Rescue Camp from the monsters that lurk in the dark and the evil gremlin schemer, Razwog.

This new experience is a taste of what’s to come in the Spiral Knights story. Stay tuned!

Additional Notes

A number of changes have been made including increased damage output for all bombs, increased damage area for some bombs, and increased damage on a number of swords.

For full information and a list of all modified items, and a list of bug fixes, please check the official patch notes here!

Finally, a few quick notes on other changes – some neat adjustments by our artists to help create a more immersive look & feel for the game:

• Many levels now have beautiful new lighting, effects, backgrounds, etc.
• Tier 1 levels now convey the proximity to Cradle’s surface while deeper levels lose sunlight and become darker.
• Crown and heat payouts have received further balancing, most notably in the Royal Jelly Palace.
• Battle Arena-style mission levels have received an overhaul and now feature new rooms and a slick new presentation.

Last weekend, fighting fans in Australian got some hands on time with our upcoming Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown at the Shadowloo Showdown Fighting Tournament. Having Virtua Fighter on hand for fans was awesome and the feedback all around was fantastic. We’re really happy we got a chance to have the game available for play and wanted to thank everyone who came out to check it out!

Watch the Tournament!

The finals for Shadowloo Showdown are available through a TwitchTV stream, skip ahead to the 1:39:00 mark to go straight to the Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown action.

The Winners!

Congratulations to Fuudo for winning the Shadowloo Tournament!

Second place goes to Ryan Hart, congratulations!

Special thanks to VFDC for all the support at the event and generally being awesome for VF fans everywhere.

The summer Sonic events, Summer of Sonic and Sonic Boom 2012, are just 2 months away! There’s lots of great stuff planned for all the Sonic fans who will be hanging out with us in Brighton, UK and San Diego, USA. Last year, you got to play Sonic Generations for the first time and this year is no different – attendees will be the first fans to get some hands-on time with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, which we just announced last week.

We’re also very excited to announce that Steve Lycett from SUMO Digital (known as S0L in many Sonic forums, including our own SEGA forums), Executive Producer on Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, will be appearing at both Summer of Sonic and Sonic Boom 2012! Many Sonic fans have interacted with him online for a while, and this will be your chance to see him in person.

Crush 40 will be playing live at both events, and special guests Jean Paul and Alex Makhlouf from Cash Cash will also playing live at Sonic Boom. Get ready to rock out to your favorite Sonic song with your fellow fans!

We’ve got lots more surprises in store for this year’s Sonic events… and we’re not ready to let them all out of the bag just yet. Stay tuned for more announcements in the coming months!

Sonic Boom 2012 will be held on Friday, July 13^th, 2012 from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM at the House of Blues in San Diego, CA (during San Diego Comic Con). Tickets are $20 each ($15 for the ticket and $5 for the TicketMaster fee) and include 2 drink tickets (for those 21 or older) and free food. You do not need a Comic Con badge to get into Sonic Boom. You must have a ticket to get in. Tickets are going quickly, so get yours today! You can purchase your tickets at http://bit.ly/IM9OoT

Summer of Sonic 2012 will take place in the Hove Centre, at Hove Town Hall, Brighton on Saturday, July 7^th 2012.  Tickets are available from the Summer of Sonic website: www.summerofsonic.com/

We’re excited to announce the winners of our House of the Dead 4 grenade hunt contest!

Congrats to the following winners:

James P. in Washington – Grand Prize

John H. in Oregon – First Prize

Gilbert M. in Florida – First Prize

Edward C. in California – First Prize

Charles C. in Florida – First Prize

All winners have been notified and have received their prizes. Congrats!

For those of you wondering… there are 16 grenades in this photo.

Back in February, we asked you to submit your questions for Jun Senoue, Alex Makhlouf, Tomoya Ohtani, and Kenichi Tokoi – some of the masterminds behind the Sonic Generations soundtrack. It’s taken a bit of time, but we’re back with answers to some of the best and most frequently asked questions. Enjoy!

Alex, when you first learned you were going to be working on Sonic Generations, what was it like knowing you’d get to work with some of the most famous songs in Sonic’s history?

Alex: To be honest, I thought it was too good to be true. I’ve been a MASSIVE Sonic fan for as long I can remember, so being a part of the 20^th anniversary game was a pretty big deal. Not only did I have the privilege of making music for the game, but I got to work on some of my most favorite Sonic songs – songs that I grew up loving. I am a big fan of Adventure series, so songs like “Escape from the City” and “Speed Highway” hold a special place in my childhood memories. I remember when I received the original tracks for “Escape from the City” I was listening to Ted Poley’s lone vocal asking myself “Would you ever have predicted you would be doing this!?” It was surreal and amazing!

Out of all the remixed songs in Sonic Generations, which one is your personal favorite, and why?

Jun: I think my favorite is Sky Sanctuary. Sonic 3/Sonic and Knuckles was the first title I was involved in the creation for, and it is nostalgic for me. I also like the remix of White Space, a menu screen where you can select the level where you go. I like the remix which picked up the characteristics of each level.

Kenichi: I like all the remixes because they are all cool, but I especially like the classic City Escape and Act 2 of Tropical Resort. City Escape was remixed in electro sound which made it totally different, but the house music tempo was nice. Lead sound guitar sticks out following the line, but suddenly turns to backing by arpeggio, in a great balanced remix. Tropical Resort has a great brisk, enthusiastic feel, and it makes me feel like I’m zipping through the stage. It was originally a mixture of live instruments and electro sounds, but as the tempo got faster, the strong synthesizer sound added more edge to the track and made it even cooler. I wanted this to be in the original Sonic Colors!

Tomoya: If I choose one, it will be Rooftop Run for the Modern stage. Using drum, bass, piano, and guitar as a band sound, as well as adding 12 string section to it made it an expressive track for the action stage.

Alex: I personally love Tomoya Ohtani’s classic remixes of Crisis City and Rooftop Run. He added a lot of catchy melodies that aren’t even in the original tunes. I actually like them more than original ones! Also, Jun did an amazing job with all of the modern remixes. They all capture that “Modern Sonic Sound”. I love how he completely re-worked Chemical Plant Zone by totally shifting the tempo and feel. It makes the track really stand out from the original, which I thought was awesome.

Which song were you looking forward to remixing the most, and why?

Alex: I was looking forward to remixing “City Escape”. My friends and I grew up loving SA2 as well as that particular song. It was one of the most iconic songs from that game. My friends all thought I was lying when I told them I was working on that song; it was almost too ironic. I remember calling up one of my friends and playing him the individual vocal tracks to prove it was true.

If you could work on one more Classic and/or Modern arrangement for any stage from previous games, which one would it be and why?

Jun: I think I’ll choose Emerald Hill Zone in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It was my best track when I was a Sonic game player.

Kenichi: I’ll choose Egg Carrier in Sonic Adventure. This is a memorable track for me, as it was my first time remixing a track that was not my own. It was a great stage, and would be so fun if this stage was redesigned in the classic style. So I dream about remixing this track for classic and modern, maybe changing the tempo totally.

Tomoya: I’ll choose Sky Babylon Stage’s track in Sonic Rush Adventure. This was made for Nintendo DS, so it was made with a restriction on the number of simultaneous tones and sound quality, so there is leeway for updating. The track is dance track using oriental melody, and I like it personally.

Alex: How can I choose just one!? Some of my favorite Sonic Tunes are from Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 though. I guess it would have to be between Oil Ocean, Spring Yard, or Mystic Cave. Those songs are some of the most unique tracks from both those games. They showcase that darker side to Sonic music, which I love. As for modern sonic, I think the song “It Doesn’t Matter” would’ve been very interesting to remix. It’s definitely my favorite song from the Dreamcast era.

Alex, as a fan who grew up with Sonic games on the Genesis, how did it feel to represent your own generation of Sonic fans in remixing songs for the game?

Alex: I guess it’s sort of cheesy to say, but it almost felt like an honor. I’ve loved Sonic through thick and thin, and will continue to do so. I experienced all three generations of Sonic first hand. The game was made for huge Sonic fans like myself, so this put a lot of pressure on me while making the music. I couldn’t just remix the songs and call it a day. I needed to make each track as special and nostalgic as the game itself. That being said, I hope I made my fellow Sonic fans proud! Sonic Generations marks a milestone for franchise, and I hope that one day people look back on it the same way we look back on the Genesis titles.

When writing in-game music, do you get a look at the games first or do you imagine how the game will turn out?

Jun: It depends on the schedule. I want to match the tempo of the game play and the track itself, so I like making tracks as I play the game or watching a movie of the game. But it’s also common for me to make the tracks by looking at the image illustrations, listening to comments from the game designer, and imagining how it would be like.

Alex: Being a Sonic fan myself, this was the coolest part about working on this game. I got to see very early footage of the game, before it was even announced — it wasn’t even officially named yet! I watched the footage to get a vibe of how the level would play out. That way I could make sure my remix didn’t stray too far from feel of the gameplay. I didn’t receive footage for all of the levels I remixed though. For the others, I had to reference the original game for a rough idea of the gameplay.

What was the reasoning behind the lack of a main “theme song” for Sonic Generations?

Jun: Sonic Generations was a special title celebrating the 20^th anniversary of Sonic, and we wanted to have all the included levels Sonic titles get the spotlight. So the tracks focused on how the nostalgic tracks can be remixed and be heard in new ways.

When I first heard the Classic Planet Wisp track, I was really surprised at how different it was to the Original/Modern Planet Wisp. I really like the track, and the more I listen to it, the more it reminds of the Bad Future stages from Sonic CD. I’m just wondering: was that the intention? Or was it a coincidence?

Kenichi: I didn’t intend to be so. The track was in a minor key, and the instruments used were similar, so it might remind you of the bad future in Sonic CD.  But I do agree that it has lots in common with Stardust Speedway.  The stage structures were meant to be novel and nostalgic for Modern and Classic respectively, and the fact that you have the same impression for our music as well just makes me very happy.

Was the beginning of the final boss song intended to sound like the beginning of Live and Learn?

Jun: If you’re referring to that sound effect played at the beginning of the cutscene where Sonic turns into Super Sonic, you’re right.  This sound effect was originally played at the beginning of “Live and Learn” (the main theme of “Sonic Adventure 2, the 10^th anniversary game) and it represented the final boss battle breaking out.  I was more than ready to bring this sound effect into this 20^th anniversary title as well.

When designing a theme for a particular character, how do you prepare the song? Do you do some role-playing as the character to get the feel for how that character would want the song?

Jun: In “Sonic Adventure 2,” we had multiple playable characters, so I composed the game music, including all of the level music, by applying 6 melodies for the 6 characters.  Because many characters took turns in the 2 stories, I wanted to represent those differences through not only the game style, but through music, too.

For pieces like character theme music, I obviously try to highlight their characteristics and strength more, comparing to other types of music.

When you did Classic Planet Wisp, was that song inspired by Scrap Brain Zone? That’s the overall feel I got from it, the natural paradise being turned into a mechanical wasteland.

Kenichi: Like I said about “Sonic CD” earlier, I didn’t compose the piece with some certain music in mind. Given that the game includes Classic style, what I thought about right away when I was working on the music arrangement was what would it be like if the levels were to be designed in a nostalgic way.  For “Sonic Colors,” Planet Wisp was composed while imagining a planet rich in nature being destroyed by a crazy construction machine, and I wanted to get across this image once more in the Classic stage, only this time, a bit more vividly.  So I suppose the pieces do share some elements with each other, and that may be the reason for such impression.

What’s one of your favorite memories from working on the various remixes and tracks in Generations?

Alex: It was around February 2011 when Jun came to our studio to see how the remixes were coming. At the time, I only had 4 of them around 75 percent completed. Since I’m a fan of Crush 40, Jun has always been someone I looked up to. I was quite nervous and I hoped that he liked the direction I had taken the songs. It was an awesome feeling to see how much he liked the remixes I did. He liked them so much, that I ended up doing more after that point.

Can you share any secrets about the tracks or composition that fans might not know? Are there any Easter Eggs you can hint at, or tell us about?

Alex: When I was remixing the songs, I wanted to make them as nostalgic as possible. I also wanted to add things that only the truest Sonic fans would recognize. In my Classic Remix of “Escape From the City” there are quite a few Easter eggs. Around  0:08, I used the original Sega Genesis snare drum for that little drum fill that leads into the verse. When I was arranging the 2^nd verse, I was trying to make a cool piano part to accompany the vocal. As I was jamming along, I remembered playing a melody incredibly similar to the Sonic 3 multiplayer song “Endless Mine”. Then I immediately realized that the verse of City Escape shared the exact chord progression as Endless Mine. Even stranger, I realized that the vocal melody was the almost identical rhythm as the synth melody. That led me to the idea to use Melodyne to manipulate the vocal so that it sang the exact same melody as Endless Mine. Although this gave a lot of Autotune sounding artifacts, I think it ended up fitting the part quite nicely. It reminds me of something Daft Punk would’ve done. Also, at the end of my remix, the synth melody is the original guitar melody from the instrumental version of the song. This melody is only heard in the demo version of SA2. Anyone like myself who bought Phantasy Star Online just to get that SA2 demo can relate to that one!

What would you say the stereotypical “SONIC SOUND” is? Is it thundering bass with crashing guitars? Or more Hip-Hoppy?

Jun: Sonic himself is a free-spirited guy, so I try not to limit myself when making music. Instead, I try to make the desired tempo first, and then attach a catchy and memorable phrase to that using edged sounds.

Kenichi:  To me, “Sonic sound” has to be cool. Of course, we need to have a unified concept in each title, but to make it cool and groovy we will use a guitar sound and sometimes use soulful rhythm, too. I feel that being unconventional is some of Sonic’s appeal, so I think it’s important to have the sounds and tracks to be free and unconventional too.

Tomoya: I think that there is no one style that says “this is how Sonic sound should be”. In any genre or composition of instruments, we can express the Sonic-like sound. I think that “Sonic sound” is free and varied.

Alex: The beauty of Sonic music is its diversity. It all depends on the game, and the level. When I picture modern Sonic running at full speed through loops, I hear nothing but fast Crush 40 jams like “Live and Learn” and “Open Your Heart”. Songs like that fit the Modern Sonic attitude so well, and enhance the high-speed gameplay. But when I picture something like Classic Sonic platforming through an underwater level, I hear swung hip hop/electro beats with a nasty synth bass line. I think the reason why Sonic music has always been so special is because it’s constantly evolving along side of Sonic. This keeps the franchise from getting stale.

How did you go about incorporating your own individual style into the tracks and were there any notable challenges in doing this?

Jun: It depends on the track. For example, Green Hill and Sky Sanctuary were both a tracks that weren’t high tempo, so I used the same melody and changed the band part to show speed. I think adding this band sound was my taste. Also, Chemical Plant was one of the tracks I made to express my taste. I included the melody line and remixed it boldly.

Kenichi: Not deviating from the original track, but appealing to a different image, is a very hard thing to do. Especially for Planet Wisp, as there had already been so many remixes. Because of this, adding a new remix seemed to be difficult to do. So, I changed my way of thinking and thought to make it simple with fewer sounds. When you remix a track, we usually add sounds, but this time we tried to keep it simple. I think it ended up having a nice groove because of that.

Tomoya: Instead of adding my taste, I put my energy into expanding the concept of the original track. And as I remixed and finished the track, I think the strings became the big hook.

Alex: It all kind of just happened naturally. A lot of these tracks were made at the same time I was working on our 2^nd album “Love or Lust”, so there are some familiar sounds in each. I guess this gave some of the remixes that “Cash Cash sound”. That’s where my brain was musically at the time and it just sort of felt right. Remixes like “Radical Highway”, “Big Arms”, and “Water Palace” were made way after our album was released. You can tell that I was in a completely different mindset for those. Although they sound nothing like the Cash Cash record, they still retain elements of the signature sound.

Tell us about your approach to Crisis City, one of our favorite tracks from the game. We were surprised by the combination of drum n bass with violins, so how did that combination come about?

Tomoya: There are times when I seek a music style that is completely original by mixing various music elements.  When working on Crisis City, I was looking for a style which included both a dramatic melody that projects a feeling of a masterpiece, and a speedy, aggressive rhythm. I came up with the idea to mix the strings session and drum and bass beats.

What influences do you feel you brought to the Sonic Generations soundtrack that might not otherwise have been there?

Alex: With my work on Generations, I tried to diversify each song as much as I could, while still keeping that classic “Sonic” feel. Super Sonic Racing and City Escape have a retro 80’s/90’s dance vibe. They are really poppy and cheerful. I also got to showcase my signature Vocoder/Talk Box Vocal effect In “SSR”. Some people think it’s simply auto tune, but it’s actually nothing like that. I actually play a synthesizer that sends the sound signal through a tube that I put my mouth. I then shape the words and vowels to make it sound like it’s talking. If you look up some videos on how it works, it’s pretty cool and actually a lot harder than it looks. On the other hand my remixes of “Radical Highway” and “Big Arms” have an aggressive electronic sound with hints of rock. My remixes of “Speed Highway” and “Stardust Speedway (US Present and Future)” use influences from electro-house, and other modern electronic music. As a music producer, I make all genres of music, but I specialize in a mostly electronic and dance. This makes the songs diverse yet pretty cohesive as a whole at the same time.

What is the process of creating a soundtrack like this one like?

Alex: Each remix had a very different creative process. For certain tracks, Jun sent me some beta gameplay videos to get a rough idea of how the level would play out. This was before the game was even announced. While my “super fan” side was having a meltdown, my music side was analyzing the footage closely. This way I could make sure that the music fits the feel and energy of the level. For some of the other remixes, I wasn’t given any reference material besides the original song. With these I had to reference the original gameplay.

Do you record the songs with a band in a studio, or is the most of it made on a computer?

Jun: It depends on the concept of the track and who did the remix, but in my case, I usually record the real live sound and use them in the tracks. I first make the demo by myself and decide both the framework and tempo of the track. Based on this, I record the rhythm parts (drum & bass, guitars) and add them to the demo. Even for the keyboard parts, the final take of these are often the ones that are actually played.

Alex: These days there’s a fine line between a studio and computer. I guess our studio sits somewhere on that line. We don’t have an epic multi-room recording castle. (Although I wish we did!) Even though our main weapon is the computer, we still record a lot of live instruments in the small space we have. A computer can’t fake things like guitars, acoustics, and percussion, so we record those live. With synth stuff, we use a combination of hardware synths and software synths, depending on the sound of the project. Since all of the remixes were dance/electronic oriented, the drums were all programmed electronic samples to get that punchy compressed sound.

If there was one track you worked on that you feel most proud of, which would it be, and why?

Alex: I think all of the remixes turned out really cool, but if I had to pick my favorite it would be “Big Arms”. I knew the original song was a fan favorite, so I had to make it as epic as possible. Most of the remixes I made were very dance oriented, but this one was very different. I love it because I got to blend the elements of 80’s synth, heavy rock guitars, big electronic drums, and strings. This resulted in a super fast, high-energy remix that could get any listener instantly head banging, or dancing on first listen. This one was also cool because I got to add an extra breakdown section that was never in the original song. It makes the end of the track really heavy and epic. When Jun heard the song for the first time, I had recorded the original guitars. Jun loved the track, and wanted to record his own guitars with his own style and feel. When I blended his guitars with some of mine, the track truly came to life. That whole middle section before the breakdown didn’t exist until I received Jun’s guitar tracks. I think Sonic fans as well as musicians will really appreciate this version of the song.

Which track was the most fun to remix? Were some of the songs difficult to remix because either you loved them so much, or you were worried fans would dislike the new mixes?

Jun: Choosing just one is difficult. Chemical Plant, Sky Sanctuary, and City Escape were especially fun. I knew that all tracks were known and liked by the fans, so I was careful when selecting what I changed and what I kept as-is. Because the music in the modern City Escape level was so popular, I tried to keep it similar to the original track, but added a new intro, changed the tempo, added new guitar solo, and a section with new lyrics in order to make it new.

Tomoya: I enjoyed working on all tracks thinking about which remix fans would like. The original tracks were popular songs,  so I wanted to remix them by expanding the original concept. This made the remixes easier to work on.

Alex: For me, it’s hard to pick just one because they were all fun in their own way. In my Classic remix of City Escape I got to add a ton of easter eggs, which was definitely fun. But doing heavier remixes like Big Arms and Radical Highway was awesome, because I would catch myself rocking out constantly as I worked.

Want More?

Visit our friends at Original Sound Version to see Jun Senoue’s answers to two more questions!