Zifei just sent me this info over IM but I was away at the time and couldn't get more details. I'll try to find out more ASAP.
- The game's playable characters are Sonic, Shadow, Tails, & Knuckles. All stages will be optimized for Sonic and Shadow. Tails and Knuckes will use these stages in their respective unique ways.
- Next step in camera system evolution or as Naka-san bluntly put it: "The best camera system ever seen in any platformer ever."
- GameCube and X-Box.
Sonic & Shadow - GBA
Chao Racing - GBA
NOTE: These titles were supposedly "leaked" by someone named "Toad." In other words, this should be considered very much a rumor and not taken seriously at all as official release info.
Remember "Many Hands," credited for Sonic Super Special #15? Art duties for the main Sonic stories in the Archie comic are slated to be taken over by "Many Hands." This will start with Sonic #113.
From Comics Continuum:
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #113
Written by Jay Oliveras and Karl Bollers, art by M. Hands.
"Cry of the Wolf." Last month readers said goodbye to Lupe and the Wolfpack. This month, witness how they first met and teamed up with the Freedom Fighters. Adapted from a classic episode of DIC's Saturday morning Sonic animated series, "Cry of the Wolf" is an issue-length epic which finds the classic incarnation of Sonic and his friends up against the original Dr. Robotnik and Snively, out to unleash their secret weapon.
Read the full story here.
Ok, the bit about Many Hands taking over is a joke. :P It's just for this issue.
Amazingly, there's still new stuff coming out about Sonic 2 Beta. (See the "Hedgehog That Never Was" page in game info if you're unfamiliar with it.)
This post on the Sonic Area 51 message board contains screenshots of 2 badniks seen in the off-center magazine screenshots but not in the beta game itself.
This practically proves that the off-center pics, including the one generally known as "Dust Hill," were from an even earlier version of the Sonic 2 beta. Also found was a never-seen-before fish badnik.
Found on Sega of Japan's site by HQ Forumer Buzzbomber.
New pro art of all 6 characters has been added - a rare event for Shadow and Rouge.
The Sonic Advance box art (Japanese version) ha been released! It features some new character art, in the SA style.
Source: Sonic Online
Sonic The Hedghehog Band - Featuring Max, Mach, Sharps, and Vector!
"Dr. Eggman" posted a link to this Japanese Sonic secrets site on the GHZ message board. Well, Pepperidge told me about it and we did a little investigating. Several months ago, we spotted these guys on a Japanese profiles page sent to us by SB. It didn't say who they were, but oddly, they were listed above everyone but Sonic and Eggman, and Vector was with them.
We looked at everything through a translator, and it seems that Max, Mach, Sharps, and Vector were all members of Sonic's band, which was supposed to be featured in a planned Sonic 1 sound test. Apparently, they're the oldest official Sonic characters besides Sonic and Eggman themselves.
On top of that, there's a lady on that Sonic secrets site whose name translates as "Madonna," and the profiles site claims that Bean from Sonic The Fighters is actually the son of Bin from the old Dynamite Dux Master System game. @.@ If anyone has any info about these 2 tidbits, or the band, be sure to send it in.
The Sonic Foundation has now also hit 1 million visitors. :)
Psxphile found this order form for DiC's "Sonic DVD." Looks like it's AoStH. However, we don't really know if this is "the" Sonic DVD that DiC has promoted. Some have said that that DVD was delayed until 2002.
Correction: This is actually a VHS, the DVD still isn't out. Thanks to Sonique for this info.
The Sonic Adventure 2 Homepage has been updated with a new race track called "EggRobo."
Source: SA2 Homepage & TSF